Chalk powder for a Pounce Pad
 

I have recently been marking stencils using a Pounce Pad. I am just wondering if the chalk powder would have any damaging effects on my sewing machine. I find that once I learned to somewhat manage the chalk powder, it is such a simple and fast way of marking my quilt. A damp sponge magically whisks away the chalk from my quilt.

first of all, if you trace your stencil onto freezer paper and then sew the design thru the paper without any thread in the needle, you will have a small pinpoint of chalk that is plenty to see the design but will not leave the large amounts on top of the quilt like the stencils will, remember, most of them were made to get a pencil point into... if i think i will use the new stencil again, i cover it with clear Contact paper (cheap laminating) and second? The chalk is on the top of the quilt and only a very small trace amount would ever get thru the quilt to the machine... I have never even seen any chalk residue on my machine after doing an entire quilt, and I would, if it was there, because I clean thoroughly before and after every quilt and sometimes in the middle, if it is large.

I have never had a problem with the pounce

I haven't heard of any problems with it yet, but I want to know if you can offer any tips for marking through the stencils with the chalk. I hate the stuff but I want to like it.

I can't see that it will harm anything if you dust and clean your machine regularly. Use a scrap piece of dampened batting to wipe of the chalk. Also check into a product called "Sew Clean" its an all natural cleaner that removes almost everything with no damage to the fabric.

Just wondering if anyone has improvised and used anything other than the pounce for this purpose? Was wondering if you could use flour, chalk for a chalk line from your DH workshop, or dusting or baby powder. I have an old powder puff sitting idle that I could use for the pounce but wondering about substitute for the chalk. Ann

I don't use pounce chalk a whole lot, but love it when I need it! I put a small amt of the chalk in a round container and dip one of those foam brushes in it. I find I use alot less, I still can see where i'm going, and I dont' have a huge amt of chalk flying around the room! (my usual round container is a left over sour cream container ...or a glass custard cup)

I have used corn starch thru a stencil (machine needle holes) pounce style on small quilted items in a pinch. Still use and wash the items and machine is still purring along fine. Have never done a large quilt this way.

Several years ago there was a vendor on the quilt show circuit who demonstrated using the chak pounce powder
They would stencil the design and then spray with hair spray to hold the chalk while hand quilting.
The Magic Chalk pounce powder stays on longer than the regular chalk powder.
However, the suggestions are good that the machine should be cleaned out after using as the powder will collect in the mechanism of the machine.