ankegram

I'm about to begin my very first queen size quilt! I'm very excited, since it is a wedding gift for my son! I've been a hand quilter for many years, but this is the first time I will be using a Pounce Pad. My question is: "should I apply the background stencil on the entire quilt before I begin quilting? Or, do I aply the background stencil section by section as I am working?". I'm totally confused becuz I think the chalk will wear off quickly as I am moving the quilt around to quilt. I've always apply my entire background stencil with an invisible marker before I begin quilting - this takes Forever! Help! New gadgets always confuse the heck out of me. I guess I'm just set in my ways! Thanks for any advice or help! FYI, I'm using a beautiful new Moda fabric called "Ancestral Antigue" in the pinks. I'm a teacher so I have all summer to work on this and I just can't wait to get going!!

deelost

Just pounce a small section @ a time because Yes the chalk wears off easily! Good luck and happy quiilting.

ontheriver

I agree, learned from experience it rubs off easily.

Lori S

Yes as stated earlier the pounce chalk does "wear" off . It will come off from the movement of re-postioning while quilting. Do remember to "prime" the pad . It takes a bit to get the chalk into the pad.

nhweaver

Somewhere is a post that states that there are a couple of difference pounce chalks, and that one is better than the other, does anyone remember?

nhweaver

I found the information, it is pounce ultimate.


The above suggestions are for machine quilting. The OP asked about hand quilting. The pounce pad will work but you need to use the ultimate pounce powder, the kind that stays until you wash or remove with an iron. The regular pounce chalk will rub off too easily and most of your marks will be gone, unless you mark as you go which is quite do-able, I have hand quilted many quilts that I marked as I went.

I believe the only pounce powder available in ultimate is the white, so if your quilt is light colored you will have to use the blue powder and then you will need to mark as you go. I have heard if you spray your chalk mark with cheap hairspray once applied to the quilt it will stay until you wash it out. I have not tried this myself but it certainly sounds like a good idea that would work.

Contrary to what the name of the product implies, you do not "pounce" the pounce pad over the stencil, you rub it over the stencil like rubbing an eraser over a chalkboard. You first "load" the pad with chalk by giving it a sharp rap against a hard surface with the cover on. Then you gently swipe or rub the pad over your stencil.

ghostrider

Is this the thread you meant, nhweaver...it was one you started recently. http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...s-t190547.html

quiltbabe

I've read somewhere that if you spray the design with hairspray, it will last longer. Haven't tried it yet, just got my pounce, but that's what I'm going to do.

ankegram

Thank you all for your suggestions! I'd heard about the hairspray trick but wasn't sure it was true. I think I'll give it a try! I love this website! You guys are awesome!!!

AndiR

If you are using one of the colored pounce powders, PLEASE be sure to test it first on some scrap fabric to make sure you can get it out! I've heard too many horror stories about the colored powders NOT coming off the quilt. Wouldn't want that to happen to you.