My design wall is a flannel backed vinyl tablecloth that I bought off the roll at Wal Mart - I use a lint roller to get the threads, etc - but it is not holding my pieces like it used to. Does anyone wash their design wall in the washing machine?

Haven't had mine up too long- 8 mos. or so. Since I too take the threads off and there is nothing but dust, I think a quick run in the dryer for a good fluff would do the trick.

I haven't had mine that long but it is glued onto styrofoam, so I won't be washing it. I will probably vacuum it to clean it.

I've had mine for over four years and it still holds. I've put king sign quilts on it and it holds.

I tried the flannel backed vinyl and found that things didn't stick up there for very long on their own.

Then tried flannelette by itself.

Then a piece of fleece. Best Ever!

Then, went whole hog, with a permanent design wall. 7.5'x10' covered in black fleece. Before Christmas, I finished a 50"x70" quilt and left it on the wall for over two weeks before it was quilted. Never budged!! :)

I didn't go white, for the reason I knew it would look grungy with time. Plus, I believe black gives a better non-judgmental background. Due to the permanency, there'll be no washing ... though I do run the lint roller over mine, periodically.

mine is felt glued to styrofoam and I have vacuumed it to freshen it up.

I have washed flannel backed tablecoths and they come out ok, but I've not had great success with getting fabric to stick. I'm thinking about using some fleece, that sounds like a great idea.

I haven't, but I probably should. Mine is getting the same way as yours because of using a lint roller. Mine is flannel uardage stapled to an old cardboard cutting mat. I'm going to be unstapling it and washing it.

Mine is homemade using 4x8 sheets of insulation duct taped together so it folds up. It is covered in batting. I like that I can use pins or not. When not in use it is folded up and in plastic, behind a tall bookcase in my living room with a largish mola over it so it is a design element in the room. No one knows I have it wrapped in plastic.

I just roll it with a lint roller or use masking tape to get off threads when needed.

ali

I use a twin-sized batting for the design wall. I vacuum the thread bits off. I've never used the tablecloths.