Is there anybody who can help me as I want to know if one can make their own stencils for FMQ?

I've been wondering if you couldn't use the stencils for painting on walls. Haven't tried them yet. They seem to be made for long lines which might be good for quilting.

Have to see if I can talk someone out of one.

Don't laugh, but I am seriously thinking of trying to make a right angle type holder for a pointer that will stick out past my sewing machine arm so I can use it to invisibly "trace" a pattern that I will tape to the rolled up portion of the quilt.

Did any of that make sense?? I can see it in my mind but would have a heck of a time explaing it to my husband.

I have read that some people use gold seal found in the kitchen paper section of the supermarket.... I can't remmeber and a google doesn't bring it up what it is used for in the kitchen....
I know it can be purchased in the USA.
Hopefully someone on here can be a bit more helpful. I am trying to remember the brand name.
It was a New Zealand person purchasing it ....I think it was on this site.
It was press and seal not gold seal.

FMQ means just that..FREE motion quilting...there is NO stencils, pantographs, or lines to follow....if you use stencils, goldenthreads paper, press-n-seal, etc. then you are just machine quilting. Meaning you followed a pattern and did not free motion(free style quilt).

There are many ways to do this, including making REAL plastic templates that you use to trace the design onto the quilt. Sort spendy, especially if you are not going to use the design over and over!

many prefer the papers though.
There is some already preprinted basic designs, or you buy the Electric quilt companys CD's and print off thousands of designs in hundreds of sizes, you can buy books from Laura Lee Fritz and trace the designs onto your quilt, you can get golden threads paper and trace the designs onto that and then sew over them.

so many ways....

Press-n-seal was thought to be great, but in the end many found it gummed up their needles, dulled the needles, did not play well all thread types, etc, etc...best to use a product that is meant for this purpose and save yourself some frustration in the end!

long ago I bought a double blade holder to do stencils. I never made any though.

I've done that. I traced the stencil pattern with a Crayola washable market to Sulky Solvy and pinned it to the quilt. Stitch on the lines, then remove the bulk of the Sulky Solvy. The rest washes out in the laundry.

sure you can :thumbup:
around here the lqs' carry template plastic, i draw my design on paper, lay the template plastic over it, trace it with a permenent marker (micron or sharpie) then i use a cutting board under the plastic and carefully cut out my stencil with a craft knife--i have a really nice xacto craft knife set with different blades...works great :thumbup: :thumbup:

this is a great way to make your own...I also have a heated tool that cuts them, but it won't work mylar, only on plastic! Do you cut the entire line, or just segments of it? can you show us a pix of one that you have done?

Yes you can make your own stencils. You use a double blade knife (made by Olfa but no long manufactured) and a flexible plastic. check www.quiltingstencils.com You can make them with a single blade knif but the double is much faster and easier. The plastic is available by the foot and is about 18" wide. It is difficult to cut on stiffer plastic. I wrote an article for the Fon's and Porter Mag that included some instructions but The Stencil Co has a sheet that gives instructions.