Marking

[try2hard]

Hi everyone. What does everyone like to use the best for marking stencils on quilts. I have a few of my own favorites but they are stubberon to come out. What marks well and come off easily?

I look forward to everyone comments.

Thanks,

Nick :-)

(In Ohio)

[ckirk]

I use white chalk powder. I apply it with a foam paint brush just before stitching. It wipes right off.

Cathy Kirk

Quilting Cowgirl

[Stagecl]

I use black light chalk mixed with white chalk and a black light on light colors. White chalk on the other colors.

Cathy...I like the idea of using a foam paint brush....I'll have to try that method.

Cheryl Mathre

Stone Creek Quilting

Sandy Hook, VA:)

[quiltaholi_518]

I mix 1/2 blue and 1/2 white. I have had the blue not want to come off white, so when the blue is cut with white, it shows on most everything (even though I am too lazy to mark most of the time!

[quiltjunkie]

I've just about given up on marking..way too much time and hard to get out on light fabric..I just draw out a design or use a stencil to transfer to a piece of copy paper, put into my scanner and then print out on the Carol Doak foundation paper, use a little basting spray..this paper comes off real easy and this is much faster in the long run. Of course this doesn't work for real big areas like borders but then I just mark a guide line most of the time for the borders and free hand it..I avoid marking as much as possible.:mad:

Hester

[Judi]

I like the white pounce chalk as well, just don't fill it too full when first

using it, I add a little bit now and then. For really tight little stencils I like

the purple air erasable markers. Always test on your fabrics first. I have

also used just a Q-tip and a bit of chalk in a little cup. I always brush this

off with a big paint brush I keep in my tool box for this purpose, before I

advance the quilt, or if it just didn't line-up where I wanted it to..... and

re-apply! Have not tried the blue, but do NOT like the Yellow chalk! Did not

want to brush-off, blow-off or vaccum-off for me! Just my results.....

[qfairy]

I use pounce powder and black light with the pounce pad, usually stays on long enough for me to quilt on it and then wipes right off, covers most all the colors so far.

[clq-jill]

I like the white pounce powder that disappears with a steam iron -- so easy to mark with a stencil. I have not had a problem with removal so far.

[Shirl]

I'm with Jill Miller on this one. Sometimes I use the foam brush other times I use the pounce pad, depends on the size of the stencil. Love that it disappears with the steam iron.

[Stagecl]

When the white pounce disappears with steam...where does it go? I know this sounds dumb. Does it steam into the batting? Does it rise with the steam? Will it reappear if it is in the batting? Or does the steam dilute it enough that it can't be seen on the fabric? I understand it takes very little steam to get rid of the line...I just wonder about the questions I asked...anyone know?

Cheryl Mathre

Stone Creek Quilting

Sandy Hook, VA

[tsurich]

Cheryl,

I use the iron off chalk but so far have never had to use the iron to make it disappear. I can brush if off to where it can't be seen. I still like it better than the regular white chalk as it stays on better with less smudging. Dawn Cavanaugh taught to use a lint tool to remove the marks and that is magic in itself.

Sue

[grammydiane]

I'm pretty much a newbie, and have just graduated to the front of the machine. I purchased a stencil holder from The Pattern Man. So far it has worked really great. It sits on the bars of the machine and you use your laser to follow the stencil pattern. I just finished a quilt and used it in half the blocks and it was so easy. I find it easier to follow the stencil with the laser than to follow lines on the quilt top.

[Marion]

I just bought that quilt pounce powder that is supposed to come off with heat from and iron or hair dryer. It cost $16. I like the idea better about using the laser with the stencil. Never even thought of that. I have used the lazer with designs from my Heirloom quilting book and they came out okay for my own quilts. I have used the embroidery machine for some of the blank blocks, but am not brave enough yet to do the stippling around them. They do need something as the embroidery was done before I put the quilts together. Love all the advice I am getting from this site. I do find though the more quilting the stiffer the quilt gets. One of my first quilts could actually stand up all by itself. I practiced every design I could think of and really filled up all the spaces. I was told to do spirals and loops and swirls, write my name anything to just get the feel of the machine. No SID as that was supposed to be the hardest thing to do. It still is. Maybe someday I can stay on the lines. Just have to Slooowww down as my nephew told me to do.

[Tmaus]

I asked the same question on a different post. Got a lot of answers but Sherry Rogers said that she likes to use the Marvy pen by Uchida and said you could get it at Checkers.

I would like to know what Checkers is if anybody knows. I'd like to buy these pens, they come in purple, white, pink if I remember what Sherry said.

I have my first paying quilt and I've figured out what I want to do but I do want to mark the quilt. These pens sounded easy and if Sherry says they work good and come out good I'm sure they do. So if anybody knows where I could get these I'd appreciate it.

Thanks

Tamara

[Stagecl]

Checkers is a wholesale supplier. You will need a tax id number if you order from them.

You can also use a rectangular piece of plexi glass to go across the quilt top, have a square piece of plexi-glass to tape your stencil to with painters tape. You place the square with the stencil on the rectangular plexi-glass and use your laser light. By having the stencil on the square you can slide it around the larger piece for placement purposes.

Cheryl Mathre

Stone Creek Quilting

Sandy Hook, VA

[katie.mac]

Cheryl,

Are you talking about doing this from the front or the back of the machine? Can you post a picture? Where is your laser light?

Katie

http://community.webshots.com/user/katiemcgraw

[countrystitcher]

Learned from Dawn Cavanaugh's class to take two adjustable metal curtain rods the kind with the curves at the ends, cut a piece of plexi-glass however big you want it and then I used self-adhesive velcro to the curtain rods and the plexi-glass. The rods fit just over the bars on the machine and are stablized. Use the laser light on top of the machine, secure your pattern with painter's tape and off you go. I did a quilt for my Dad using this method on about 15 blocks and it works great!

[katie.mac]

It sounds like this would be an great alternative to marking. I'm going to give it a try!

Katie

http://community.webshots.com/user/katiemcgraw

[Judi]

Hey Sharon - glad to hear that advice from Dawn C. worked so well! I have

a quilt up-and-coming that I will be doing a big butterfly in a 15" block. I am

going to try this method too! I always have my curtain rods there - holding

up my sides.

Any local quilt shop orders supplies from Checker. Mine will let me look at

their book when I need something. It does list the retail price, and she

usually gives me a good deal on that. I know about what they cost, I used

to oder from them when I worked at a shop.

[Mary Beth]

Dawn C. is like McGyver (is that the correct spelling??), she can take things around the house and turn them into quilting tools. I bet the only thing she ever purchased was her machine. I have had about 5 classes with Dawn - I am the self appointed president of her fan club ya know - and I catch myself looking at stuff around the house and wondering what would Dawn do with that?? - could I quilt around it??

[jeanros]

Hester,

Where did you find Carol Doak foundation paper, I have been looking for it?

You can e mail me too at Jeanros@aol.com.

Jean