Best and easiest way o transfer a motif onto my quilt? A beginner!!!
 

I am a beginner wanting to learn how to do free form quilting. I learned the hard way by attempting to free motion quilt on a simple quilt I had made. Result- a lot of stitch ripping!!!

I am ready to start again , but I am wondering what the easiest way to transfer a simple motif onto my quilt to guide me.(using transfer paper, making a stencil and repeating it every inch? )What do you suggest is the best way to transfer the design onto the fabric?? (Using a chalk pencil, washable markers, marking pencils?)

Thanks for any insight as to what you might suggest!
Linda

I am going to be watching this because I wish I had a good way to do this as well. I hate that chalk wipes offs... I use stencils with crayola fine tip washable markers, but get so tired of marking :) the pounce is quick but wipes off and I had an experience where the blue pounce didn't wash completely out

I think my next attempt will be with crayola washable marks and stencils, but just mark smaller areas (instead of trying to mark the entire top at once) Hopefully I will have a little better time with that

Welcome to quilting! I use Crayola Ultra Washable markers, from Wal-Mart, and stencils. It does mean I have to mark pretty much the whole quilt, which can be a pain of work, but at least I know everything is the same size and uniform. For an organic style quilting I don't mark on the quilt, just practice like billi-o on a whiteboard, until my muscle memory is good enough.

I sometimes use all the above mentioned techniques but the easiest for me when wuilting a continuous motif was using quilting paper. It's super thin and tears away easily. You trace pattern on paper and pin paper to the area of quilt...then sew over paper. You can buy this paper by the roll. It's called Golden Threads quilting paper and can be purchased mostly anywhere but I found it on Amazon.. Check out the youtubes on this technique....

Edit to add: welcome to the board!!

Here's a YouTube link for one of my favorite teachers...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NyjDXLNFSV0

Great tutorial. Thanks for sharing!!

Marking quilts
 

I use Gold quilting paper and trace the pattern onto it. Then I take a 100 needle, no thread and stitch the design. If it's fabric that caulk marking wouldn't show up, I lightly spray the area where I will be placing the gold paper stencil. But, my favored way is to take the stencil I just made with gold quilting paper and use a chalk pouncer to mark the quilt. You don't have to remove the paper this way. a lot faster.

I watched the video and decided at the very end where she was removing all the tiny bits of paper that had to be removed....my eyes are getting old....I think this is not the way to go. I will stick with my Crayola ultra washable markers and mark my quilts. She said this is so much easier than marking the quilt......not when you waste more time that marking, by having to remove all the tiny pieces of paper.

I think so too. With the Golden Threads paper you have to spend time marking the paper and spend time removing all the paper... With the Crayola markers, you just spend time marking the quilt! Maybe I'm lazy, but heavens, if I can save time, I will! :D

I have used the blue or purple disappearing pens and they aren't dark enough for me. I have used the pounce pad on small projects and only like the iron off version as the others seem to "bounce off" with the action of the presser foot.
I can FMQ fairly well but usually prefer doing small motifs or following a line (on a panel or outlining an applique in the ditch). My newest quilt I decided to buy a heart and flowers pantograph from Urban Elementz and traced using my large light box and Crayola Ultra-Clean washable markers, prior to sandwiching. Since the top was light in color, it worked marvelously. It took me two evenings, but the quilting was a breeze. No paper to tear off and the design can be used over and over. Here is a sample of the quilting.
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