I do my quilts in stages. I use the disappearing pens because it will last a couple days. I do mostly hand quilting so I start with basting then do the pattern in the center of the quilt. Quilt that and work my way out in sections. I've never marked the whole quilt top at once since I don't quilt fast enough for the markings to stay. I would think with the chalk you would loose a lot of the pattern every time you moved the quilt wether it was hand or machine quilting.

I used this also the one and only time I have machine quilted. It worked great.

In addition to quilting through the paper, I have used water soluable stabilizer. It works great, but is a little pricy. I also saved an article from Fons and Porter magazine titled "Quilting the Quilt--Usint Quilting Paper", by Lynn Witzenburg. It was in the November/December 2007 magazine. It looks like an interesting idea, but I havn't tried it. Chalk seems like the best way to go as to removal, but doesn't stay on the a long time. Maybe you can find that magazine at the library.
Sue

I baste before I mark, and then I only mark the area that I'm going to work on "now".

I've used chalk or quilt pencils if I wanted to just sketch something quickly as a general guide - and will just freehand it.

If I need an intricate pattern that needs to be accurate, I use the gold tracing paper and quilt right through it - then rip it off when I'm done. I don't worry about any of the teeny tiny pieces that can be left where the stitches are close together because it will come off in the wash. I recently quilted foot prints using the paper method - some were just slightly larger than a bobbin.

Have never marked a quilt before I basted it though. I imagine if pens were used to mark it would be OK, but chalk would rub off in the basting process and if not then, in the quilting process before you got to all of the areas.

Well, I am not marking anything. I am currently making a log cabin for my sister. Each block is 10 inches. by the time I get things done around the house, I spend an hour or 2. I end up with one block a day. I have one more block for the 3rd row. It's going to be 9 blocks across, 9 down. I thought I was being slow like a snail when I read some blogs of quilters polishing off so much. I do what I can do, and get it done. I don't think your being slow. You might want things done faster, so do I, but, I can do, what I can do

I don't mark anything, I usually do a large stipple.

I like the Crayola washable markers with nice tips. Washes out beautifully and does not rub off when working with it. Comes in all colors.