Hi Joanie,

I just purchase it by the yard, although I have found it in rolls that is perfect for borders. And go for either a grey or white... much easier to see.

Quilters find all sorts of new uses for ordinary things. Toothpicks for turning applique, yardsticks with a magnet attached to pick up stray pins off the floor, how to mold a thimble for your thumb (great for pushing the needle through thick seams), how to use the inserts in bacon packages to use for patterns, etc., etc., etc.

Hang around any quilter and you will learn something in short order. I hope you enjoy quilting. It is one of my life savers and life savors...

Anita

Now I just love the idea about the plastic in the bacon pack. I never thought of that. I just bought a pack of stencil sheets and now that I think of the bacon it would be better, it's thicker. Thanks Anita!
kathy

I never gave the insert a thought ; good idea. I save cardborad from shirts, undies all kinds to play with shapes and designs. Plastic would be better thank you

Wow, Anita, I like the idea of the netting. I have a role left over from a wedding I helped with a few years ago. Still in the plastic. I'm gonna try that idea. It sounds way easier than all the trace, move, trace, swear at yourself for having missed the count and ended up with a partial on the corner!

Thank you so much, I do use the bacon flats.....when I dare to eat bacon, have used it for stencil making for years.

Sharon

I'm glad to be of help, if that is what you call it.

The tulle is wonderful to work with... I did an Amish style using the tulle, and it was fabulous.

Another way of tracing small motifs is to use tracing paper... copy, stitch, and tear away. I have used that on hand-quilting. Works like a charm too. I improvised when I couldn't find any tulle in the quilting closet and didn't have the money to buy any...

Keep on quiltin',
Anita

http://www.quiltedparadise.com

I'm including a quotation from Quilted Paradise Newsletter to show you the kinds of articles available there:

Plastic Quilting Stencils and Templates -

There are many products available for marking your quilting design on a quilt. One of the most common is the quilting stencil. Quilting stencils are usually made of lightweight plastic and have slots cut through in the pattern design. They are inexpensive and readily available at quilt stores, chain stores, and online.

Please look at your quilting stencil. You will see long cuts through the plastic with short 'bridges'. These bridges are necessary to keep the stencil intact. But as you are quilting you would continue to quilt the marked lines through the unmarked 'bridge' area to the other marked line.

Some quilting designs made into stencils are continuous and some are not. When machine quilting you might want to start with a continuous line quilting design to avoid many starts and stops and stitching back over a line that has already been quilted.

I find quilting stencils very easy to work with. You simply choose the size you want leaving at least 1/4" - 1/2" along the edge of the patch. Then mark using a washout marker, pencil or chalk.

There are several ways you might make your own quilting stencils. Use ordinary template plastic available at quilt stores and a double bladed craft knife, a wood burning tool with a stencil cutting point, or cut the stencil with a fine point scissors.

Quilting templates are also made from template plastic but are usually a shape that is actually cut out of the plastic and you trace around with a washout marker, pencil or chalk. They are much simpler to make but would not be as detailed a design as a stencil.

Both quilting stencils and hand made templates are very economical as they can be reused many times. If you get a small tear in the plastic it can be mended with tape.

posted by Mary Lou, FWL Cookbook.com @ 8:15 PM

I don't know which issue of the newsletter. I found this on http://marysquiltingbee.blogspot.com/2006/05/quilted-paradise-newsletter.html

Great stencil tip! I sure want to try it.

tx, Sibble

I have also used freezer wrap. I trace the pattern on the dull side using a permanent marker, then using a large needle sew on the lines with no thread. You can then use a pounce of chalk, cinnimon or whatever to mark. This will dust off, so I only mark what I will quilt right now. Learned this trick from John Flynn.

i print mine on paper then pin or tape them to the top. years ago, i bought a box of 15 lb pin-feed computer paper. i tear off the perforations, take out the carbon paper (which i've used to trace patterns onto fabrice for painting) and run it through the printer. i can make "stencils" up to 16.6" x 16.5" (have to make 4, line them up and glue or tape together.) I just bought a new printer that can take paper up to 14" wide. Bigger stencils are now possible. Yippee! Yahoo!

Does anybody know where to buy blank newsprint paper? i'll bet that would tear away even more easily than the 15lb stuff, which is almost gone.

I have heard the newspaper sells bolt ends. Give em a call.