What is your favorite???

[Mary Beth]

What are your favorite tools for marking stencils?? And share with us how you mark, please ( this is for all of those people wanting to be in the challenge but are afraid to try it). If you have any other ideas, tricks or suggestions, please share.....thank you in advance.

[Hollyrw]

Mostly I use the blue water erasable markers. For quick things, I use the purple air erasable ones. I have struggled with what to use on dark fabric. I like the Miracle products that you remove with an iron. I have a stubby crayon version but it's a pain in the arse to keep sharpening it all the time. I got some of the power quite some time ago but couldn't get the hang of using the pounce pad. A couple of weeks ago I had to mark a cable on some black fabric so I pulled out the pounce pad with Miracle chalk and low and behold, I marked the pattern with no problems.

[Bonnie]

I use a lot of different colors of GENERAL'S CHALK....stays sharp, comes off with a good rub with an Magic Eraser, and also I use the Blue pens, and the new leaded pencils...made by Bohn...

[Katydids]

I use the ultimate pounce pad for marking stencils. I usually mark it right on the frame using my base expander under the quilt then plop the stencil down and mark. If it is white on white or too light for the chalk to show, I use a pounce that has some flourescent chalk mixed in and then quilt with my black light on.

[anniemueller]

Where do you buy the fluorescent chalk? I've had trouble finding it.

I haven't had much luck with my pounce pad. It just seems to make a fine powdery mess without leaving a clear mark. I'm going to try the sponge brush next.

[Mary Beth]

Annie,

Here is one source...

http://www.kmquiltingsupply.com/Parts/BlackLight.asp#Powder

I have all of the longarm supply companies saved to my favorites so I don't have to surf the intenet for everything. You may want to search several of the companies to check prices.

Here is another...with directions...just google blacklight chalk quilting

http://www.lovetoquilt.com/longarm_quilting_supplies/longarm_supplies_black_light_powder.htm

[Grammie]

Love blue water soluable both the finer tip and regular one. I use the eraser pen too. You do have to throughly soak the top once you use these I have found. Chalk doesn't stay long enough for me. I guess I handle the quilt too much and like moving around on it. I find they don't last as long as I wish they would and in Colorado it is dry so I keep them in a tupperware pencil box in my Frig. I know it sounds crazy but it seems to keep the life alittle longer. I do the same with my fabric glues because they dry out fast too. I keep a humidfyer going to keep my static down in my studio. lol

Grammie

[gable428]

This is a great topic Mary Beth. I want to use stencils more often, but don't know what to mark them with. I have problems with the pouncer thingy. I'm gonna try some of the other suggestions.

[Mary Beth]

I love the pounce pad with Miracle Chalk. The key is to fill it with the chalk...then I go outside...and beat/clap the pounce pad against my left hand - reverse if you are left handed This fills the pad with the chalk. Then I wipe it across my stencil. You can kind of rub the stencil with the pad to get the chalk as dark as you need it. I know most people like the sponge brushes for this technique instead of the pounce pad, but I like my pounce pad better. So you would need to find what works for you.

[Quilting Heidi]

My favorite is the miracle chalk and I can use it about 90% of the time. When that won't work I use blue washout pens. I also like sewline pencils (white and pink only). I have the black light powder & pencils but don't use them much. Oh and I really like the Bohn chalk pencils. I wish there was an easier way to sharpen them though!

[SharonG]

Something that helps is to take a damp cloth and rub over the quilt top first before applying the pounc powder. You don't need as much pounce powder that way, so it doesn't bounce all over the place.

Sharon

www.roseofsharonquilting.com

[ffq-lar]

The Bohin mechanical pencils make a thin line and don't need sharpening. I had two show quilt classes last year and both instructors recommended this product for stencil marking. Removes with a wet cloth or a wet Mr. Clean eraser.

[Stagecl]

Pounce or blue washout marker.

[MtnBarb]

Mostly the blue washable marker or pounce chalk. Once when I ran out of the blue pen, I remembered that I had some Crayola Washable markers. I tried the blue once and it worked great. Washed out nicely. Note: I only did this on my own quilt.

[Luvstoquilt]

I use the Crayola WASHABLE fine tip markers. You do have to wash the quilt after finishing it. I always hold my breath because I swear the colors are so dark it will never come out.

I do not quilt for money and not sure my heart could take the worry. Just wanted to throw something out for those of us on a very tight budget.

I practice all sorts of things on my Quilts of Valor.