I've never used a design wall before, but am thinking I really should. (Evidence: I jump into piecing what I'm certain will be great combinations, sew them together, then... well, not so great...)

What do you use? I assume there are purchasable items made just for this purpose. I'm also seeking suggestions for do-it-yourself solutions.

I also need to figure out what wall I'll possibly use, but I realize you can't help me with that!

Thanks!

Flannel is a great do-it yourself way. Then you can put it up and take it down as needed.

How does the flannel work?

Do quilt pieces stick to it? Do you pin it? Can you tell I'm completely NEW at this concept?

Will a flannel sheet work? Or does it need to be heavier?

Thanks!

-- Jillaine

I use an old white flannel sheet that was one of my mil's.

I sew in my bedroom so I use clothes pins to pin it to the decorative front of my double closet sliding doors.

Someone else I know uses tacks and pins hers where the ceiling and walls meet, and then takes it down when she doesn't need it. That way she doesn't have pin holes in the walls, and she can maximize the whole wall, floor to ceiling.

I've tried all kinds, including those mentioned above. I don't have a wall large enough (without furniture in front of it) to hang anything. DH got some 2" thick foam insulation board from Lowes. It was 2 foot wide by 8 foot tall. He cut off 2 feet so it's now 2 x 6 foot. I have four panels. He duct taped them together....he alternated the taping - taping the first two panels on the front and the next two on the back. He duct taped around to protect all edges. Then we taped cheap batting on the front......It can fold up and be stashed in a closet.

I bought a 4x8 sheet of foam insulation and covered it with felt because it was cheap, some blocks will stay on their own, some need a pin

My sister and I made portable "walls" that we can bring to each other's houses when working together.

We used the tri-fold display boards (the kind students use for science fair projects) and covered them with flannel. We cut the flannel several inches larger than the board so we could wrap it around the edges and used a hot glue gun to glue it to the back.

This can be closed flat for storage and can be closed with a WIP inside and moved from place to place without disturbing your work.

Ooh, that's a good idea. I don't have space for a design wall right now, but I plan to have one when I find a new flat. Most of the time I'm using freezer paper templates (I use the Ruth McDowell method), so the pieces won't stick to a standard design wall that's a sheet or what have you, they need to be pinned. (I have one 22" x 26" wall hanging whose size was determined by the largest cork noticeboard I could find, which is all I have at the moment.) Putting felt/flannel/whatever is cheapest that fabric will stick to on top of foam insulation sounds like the best of both worlds. I'd been thinking of cork, which would be rather expensive, although on the plus side the sound insulation may be useful.

I have a vinyl tablecloth hung backwards against the wall with the flannel side facing outward. I've been using the same one for 12 years. lol... It's a red checkerboard and the checks show through a bit which is really rather helpful and provides a faint grid. But that was serendipitous. My husband painted a narrow board (white) and screwed it (or nailed it? not sure) across the top of the tablecloth to hold it steady.

Lots of great ideas here!
My DH used some extra sound insulation panels 1/2" to make my design wall. They are coverd in a mauve fabric to make them look nice and I use pins to hold everything on.

I was thinking using the insulation panels, glad someone posted that will work, hubby suppose to clear out the extra spare room today, still waiting (LOL)..
Once he does this, I'm ripping up carpet then painting, then off to lowes for tiles...

I'm rather frugal so when I decided to make a design wall I began looking around at what I have. Remembered getting our king size mattress in a heavy cardboard box so I cut the top and bottom off the side pieces, glued them together and bought what I needed in flannel and covered the whole thing stapling it on the back side. Made a wonderful design wall and it leans at a very slight angle so I very seldom have to pin. Right now I have two projects on it. Have made smaller design pannels from cardboard and I carry them around with me. Can't do without them. From cheapo in MD, happy quilting.

I covered foam board.
It is light but not big enough.
Thanks for all the great ideas.

Use the SEARCH at the top of the QB and you will find a lot of good information on how others have done this.

You'll love the search function.

ali

This is what I use. It's pinned to the wall (house is for sale and I'm hoping I can just paint over the pin holes) and wide enough for a 50" quilt. The table cloths come in all different sizes and work well.

I pinned an old tablecloth with the flannel side out to the wall behind the door of my sewing room. Wish it was a little wider, but it serves the purpose well. I, also, covered a large piece of foamcore board with flannel and use it as a portable one or just for small projects. I can usually just press my quilt pieces to the tablecloth flannel on the wall with my hand and they stay there. If I'm hanging rows of blocks, I sometimes have to use a pin to keep them up. A design wall of any kind really helps to be able to step back and get a better idea of the whole picture.

I put a piece of sticky back Velcro near the ceiling of an unused wall in my family room. I sewed the other half to a piece of cream colored fleece, so my wall is 8 feet high and 5 feet wide. Easily removable and, so far, no guests have noticed the white strip at the ceoiling. The Velcro came packaged like that - one side stick on and one side sew on. The fleece is very grabby as far as holding blocks and sewn together strips. I had to pin a whole quilt.

I purchased a design wall, not the free standing type but one you can put onto nails on the wall that has grommets in it(I have a wall hanging that goes there when I'm not using the design wall). I think Connecting Threads has the Fons and Porter one on sale this week. I did have one that stuck to the wall itself, but when I left it on for quite some time, it left a residue on the wall. I wouldn't recommend that one. I do have plastic tablecloths that I take to class and can be folded after class to bring home with the design still on the tablecloth. They work well. I also took a photo album (on sale), removed the inside, and covered with felt. I can take this with me as it's small but opens up to a decent size. I saw a binder with a cover from some school at the discount store for one dollar. This could easily be made into a portable one by covering in flannel.

My DH made one for my studio from foam insulation boards from home depot. 2 panels will give you 48" x 72" board, which I covered with craft flannel I bought at Joann' s. I've had it now for 10 years, works great. I use the floral T pins to hold heavy quilts, & regular pins for blocks.

It was probably about $50. To make

I have one of those cardboard cutting mats that I didn't use. I "repurposed" it by stapling flannel to one side. It's big enough that I can lay out a lot of block pieces (or blocks) and I can fold it up and stash it when I'm not using it.

A teacher just recommended to me to get 3 yards of flannel backed vinyl and the stuff that when you hang something (it looks somewhat like putty), you just stretch it to get it back off the wall. (No pins, nails, frames).

I think a large plastic tablecloth with flannel back will be less expensive. Some can even be found in a discount store.

Mardens has the flannel backed vinyl for $1.99/yd. I am not sure but it may be wider than the tablecloth. Also, since she recommended 3 yards to make sure you have enough for any size quilt (fold back what is not being used), I think this would be better than having to seam a couple of table cloths together. At this price, it might come about about the same unless you find them on sale for about $1. I had mentioned the tablecloths to her and that is when she told me about the vinyl. I saw her piece of vinyl and it is very sturdy. I think it would hold up better than the tablecloths also. I do agree, though, that tablecloths are another way of doing this.
I am in a class with this teacher for OBW and it is fabulous. That is why I need to get the vinyl.

My design wall is a large piece of white felt stapled to a thin board that is screwed into the wall in my sewing/quilting room. It cost me about $10.00 and it works great! If i need to move my blocks around i just remove and reposition!!

Kathi in PA

After reading this thread with all the great suggestions, I went to Target and bought a cheap flannel back tablecloth. I used pushpins to attach it to the wall. I am so pleased!!!

I use those flannel backed table covers from the dollar store, tacked it to my wall, fabrics stick to it great.

I just took a class with Pat Speth (Nickel Quilt lady). She gave the following directions for a design wall. Use the cardboard cutting mat for sewers that folds up. Using extendable curtain rods that have the bent ends, fasten a flannel backed tablecloth (with flannel side out) to the cardboard mat with 2" binder clips over the flannel and curtain rod. The rods are used at the top and bottom to hold the mat open. The size of the design wall can be full size or smaller if you are working on a wall hanging.

I also use the flannel back table cloth..works fine for me.
mikki

I use the back of a flannel backed table cloth, and/or a piece of batting (warn and natural)
I hung a dowel rod and used binder clips to attach the table cloth. My problem living a "cape" is I don't have a choice of walls.

For a portable one I bought on sale cheap stretched canvas and stapled a piece of beige flannel I had on hand. 3 pack of canvases for less than $10.00.

I have put up a large piece (ceiling to floor & 90" wide) of batting and it works great. I used some large push pins across the top about every 10". It was easy and cheap.

I have a5'x4' art canvas and covered it with batting - screwed a large hook on top so I can hang it.

Do you leave blocks on it when you roll it up?

There are so many great ideas here!

This design wall is made on the sliding doors of the sewingroom closet. We laid the doors flat, stapled the flannel grid fabric on (fold the edge under as you work) then hot glued nylon marine rope to cover the edges.

For smaller things, I made one with foam core 1/2" thick. I duct taped two pieces together and covered it with flannel. I can just lay the pieces or blocks on or pin them. For larger tops, I bought extra wide flannel and made hanger sleeves on two sides (across the width and length). A 1" X 2" piece of wood slides in the sleeve to support the flannel wall. Two cup hooks get screwed into the top of the wood. This I hang in front of the closet in my sewing room from loops of string hung on metal eyes screwed into the molding corners, across the door. When I'm not using it, I can easily take it down and stand it up in the corner. If I have to get into the closet while blocks are on the design wall = then I usually pin them on, otherwise they'd fall off, when the flannel gets moved. I've even taken it off the loops, accordion pleated it onto the floor to get in the closet's bifold doors and put it back up with nothing coming off. Just needs a bit of straigtening. If I'm arranging blocks for a queen size top, I can lay the flannel piece down on the living room floor and use it flat. If I had the space, I think I'd prefer the flannel to be on a solid pinable surface, but since I don't, this works for me.

I hung a flannel back tablecloth I got from walmart for 5 bucks and it works great.

I have a clothes rod hanging over some closets doors and hung some flannel on it.

We do a lot of work with foamboard in miniatures so I had several large pieces. Some were 4' x 8". I didn't have much luck with flannel. Pieces kept falling off or shifting. I covered the foamboard with of fabric and used pins as thumbtacks. Worked like a charm. The pins go easily into the FB.

I agree space is at a premium here I use the flannel backed plastic table cloth-you can get them really cheap and put them away in a drawer!