What fabric do you use for your design wall, flannel, batting or ?. Which do you think will work the best?
Thanks for your comments.

I used black fleece for my design wall. It's stretched on four foot widths of tentest. Total wall size 10'x7'-1/2".

It's been up for over two years now ... and I can't imagine working with out it. I NEVER need pins ..... and have had full sized quilts totally sewn together displayed on it for weeks at a time. (pressed and waiting to go for quilting)

I also made some smaller portable design walls with the offcuts. Works great at the sewing machine and iron. Or for just putting a few pieces together.

don't have one yet. I'll be watching the answers on this one :)

I use old flannel tableclothes. When I find another place to put one, I buy a cheapie and tack it up :)

Since I sew drapes I buy interlining/flannel used for silk panels, etc and I used 2 widths of this (54 inch widths) sewn together, the height of and width of one entire wall in my sewing room...I sew a small 1 inch rod pocket, top and bottom, inserted a thin 1/4 inch or so, Roman Blind plastic dowel type stick through the 2 rod pockets and put it up with thumb tacks..has been holding up fine..so far...and is extremely helpful for quilting

what is tentest?

I have some flannel pinned to my wall but I have to pin often because the blocks fall down :(

It's a sheeting that is used in building. It's soft enough that pins go into it easily ... though I don't need them. I was fortunate enough to have the space to be able to permanently mount my design wall.

I used my Joann's coupon on bought the Fons and Porter Design wall for 50% off. I love it and use it for everything.

There are a lot of Possibilities.
I use a super thick double layer of extra wide cream colored fleece. I pin it to the wall with t-pins and take it down when not in use. It can even hold up a finished quilt.

I pinned a queen sized Hobbs thin batting to my wall. It works great. I have almost my whole quilt up there, and I have only had one or two blocks fall, usually when I am working around my long arm and brush by them. They stay on great. I used old sewing machine needles from my long arm to hang it with, but after realized that thumb tacks would have been better.

Cream colored fleece held up by Velcro with one side stick on and one side sewn on. It works great. The only thing that'll bring anything down is a swishy Border Collie tail too close.

I use the Warm & White batting. Works great.

Batting stretched around two 4x8 or 4x6 sheets of wall board. They can be stuck in a corner when not in use or leaned against the wall. Pins go in easily. Lightweight blocks stick without pins. Easy and quite reasonably priced.

Thanks for all the imformation everyone was really interesting.

You can also purchase a flannel fabric with a grid on it. I think it's about 2" apart. It's really nice for getting your pieces all lined up square.

I have this one too. I love it!

Thanks for all the suggestions. I have a design wall but the quilt blocks fall off. I don't want to have to pin so I think the flannel that was used is too light. I will continue to watch this topic and read the great suggestions.

Try fleece ... I put a remnant up on my wall with painters tape to try it. Then put some blocks on, and tried some joined together. Left them for a few weeks .... and all stayed in place!

It sold me on the fleece as being the "right" way to go.

It just takes a swipe of the hand when putting the blocks onto the design wall. I have the luxury of a permanent mounted design wall. Those with sheets/fleece/batting just hanging, where you can't do the swipe so easily probably won't have things stick as easily .... or as long!

I wonder if you would please post a pic? Thanks.

I use large pieces of warm and natural batting that is leftover from other quilts and sewn together.

I use the back of a vinyl table cloth, but things fall off all the time, maybe because it is not up against a solid wall. I have the tablecloth mounted above sliding closet doors with two large magnets that DH pulled out od some old speakers. I think I will try a piece of fleece and see if that works better for my location.

Wow. That's very interesting. Wish I had known that. I have flannel on my
design wall. Works quite well but I have to use pins for big blocks and will
definitely not hold a full quit top. Next time I might opt for fleece. Thanks
for your tip. :thumbup:

It's been a real blessing ... and I love the black colour. I had never heard of a design wall, and once I did, I tried a few things and then made the full commitment ... and have never regretted it!

My design wall is made with a large piece of cardboard with batting glued to it and felt over the batting.I glued the felt to the back of the cardboard. I hung it with shower curtain rings along the top section and put a dowel through the rings and hung it on my wall.
Works like a charm:)

My design wall is made with a large piece of cardboard with batting glued to it and felt over the batting.I glued the felt to the back of the cardboard. I hung it with shower curtain rings along the top section and put a dowel through the rings and hung it on my wall.
Works like a charm:)

I bought 2 8x4 sheets of foam insulation, less than $12 for both, and screwed them to the wall side by side. I can pin blocks to them, (using longer quilting pins)but they won't stay up by themselves, I will cover it all with fleece. even pinning it really helps. I also have a 3x3 ft square of cardboard coved with fleece for smaller work at the sewing machine.

I first covered my design boards with batting. Worked great but I decided I'd like the look of a marbled flannel better. So I took it down and recovered it. Big mistake. Flannel doesn't hold without pinning. Since we're moving again, it is all disassembled. May try fleece this time. Sounds like many of you are happy with that choice.

Best way to try fleece ...... put a remnant on the wall with painter's tape. Stretch it out well, so it's nice and flat/tight.

That's the way I tried it and then said, oh yessss!

Bonus, it's wider than the flannelette, so fewer seams. I wrapped mine around each of the boards, and then put each board on the wall side by side, flush. The boards/tentest are soft enough you can put in pins ..... sometimes I put the pattern up or leave notes to myself aka bulletin board corner!

I used a gridded light weight flannel that I bought online (either from Connecting Threads or Keepsakes). It is mounted with spray adhesive on some type of foam board that I bought at Home Depot so that I can stick pins in it. The foam board comes in 4'x8' sizes so I bought 2 making my design wall 8'x8'. It works well for me.