I bought a special pencil at a quilt shop, but it took too much pressure to make any marks on the fabric. Didn't like it at all. Consequently, I just eye it up as best I can now and stick to simple designs I can't screw up too much. Of course, I don't do the elaborae quilts I used to make anymore, so I don't need fancy designs on them. Been there, done that, and now I just make simple usable quilts.