help using a stencil
 

I am trying to use a stencil to mark my quilt top for hand quilting and not having much success. The problem I am encountering is whatever I use to trace the design w/gets broken. For example today I tried using a piece of sharpened chalk and the point got snapped off before I even got started. The little space is so tight it either breaks or dulls out my marking tool. I tried using a pounce thing, but it won't show up on the fabric I am trying to mark (it's multicolored). The stencil is one of those plastic type like these http://quiltingstencils.com/plastic-...es/2-2-5-inch/

I hope someone understands what I am saying and can help me out. Thanks.

Never mind I think I found a few things to try, thanks google, lol!

Have you tried Crayola washable markers? Or the blue fabric markers that wash out?

First of all, make sure you are marking on a hard surface. I use either the Sewline or the Bohin mechanical marking pencil with a stencil. Chalk doesn't work for me.

I hand quilt, use a LOT of stencils. Get the Crayola Ultra Clean markers with the fine point. I mark mine in the frame with no hard surface under it

since I discovered the crayola markers that's all I use.

Another hand quilter, stencil user here. I agree marking on a hard surface is much easier. Also usually easier done prior to sandwiching but mostly I mark afterwards. I find the Bohin mechanical pencils or a regular mechanical pencil far easier to use for marking. I don't have much luck getting tailor's chalk markers in the stencils. Roxanne pencil points break while looking at them (at least for me, lol). I've never mastered the pounce marker either.

If you have a LQS nearby, I would highly recommend racing out to get the Bohin pencil and as many color leads as they have. I only have white at this point but plan to purchase the other colors next time I'm at the shop somewhat near to me that carries them.

I use a Fons and Porter mechanical pencil. The dark lead works good but the white lead doesn't show up. I bought pieces of white chalk and use that now for dark material. I am going to look into the Crayola markers. That sounds like a winner.

When I need white for marking black, I use the Clover white pen. You don't see the lines at first, but wait a minute and they show up very nicely.

Too often, I have found that chalk marks disappear, on larger quilts, because of the movement. And then I need to re-do them part way through. Or just mark a section at a time. Thus I am always looking for a new possibility.


I have heard of these Clover markers/pens and the patience required to "see" their marks!

Do their marks stay "put", as you work with the quilt?
How do you remove those marks, once done?

I have used the Crayola washable markers for some time now and have never had a problem! The marker color washes out every time! They work great! I have had a hard time finding one that will show up on some darker fabric, like black or dark blue. They work so well I haven't wanted to try anything else, except something that will show up on the darker fabrics! Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Yes, they stay put very well, as long as you need them to. I just wash my quilts when done, and all the marks come right out. Rubbing with a damp rag removes them too. In all my quilting years, its the best white marker I've found

i use the fine tip crayola washable markers with my stencils - and like someone else said be sure you are working on a hard surface

And if you want the marks to disappear right away, then you can iron them away...

I don't like to iron them, since I usually have the crayola markers close to the white, and heat can set some of the colors.

I'm a frixion pen user. Works for everything I have ever done. I do admit that i rarely use black, and I do use Fons and Porter white pencil, but still like the frixion better if they had a color to show up on black. I will mark before i sandwich the quilt.

Thank you everyone for the replies. I think I need to get some Crayola markers and see how that goes. And, want to check out the Bohin pencil too.

I use 2 pencil markers, one is green and white that has white lead. The other is red and has dark lead, I know instantly which one I need to grab!!

When I hand quilt, I use washable markers of all colors. My quilts are easy to hand quilt, plus the markers wash out during the first washing!

On fabrics that are dark enough, I use pounce. On light fabrics, I use a mechanical pencil. When using the pencil's, I find it better to make several 'soft handed' marks, than to try and get it with one pass, as pushing too hard breaks the lead.

Sometimes, I find it necessary to remark the pounce, if it is a long pattern and gets rubbed off while quilting. I hand quilt so have learned to quilt in the areas where my hand will rest first, so as not to rub the marking off as often.

I was finally able to get a piece of chalk to work w/the stencil (thanks to those that said use a hard surface!). I also finally got some Crayola washable markers (ultra clean), and they worked too! I want to look into some of the other things mentioned because I like to have options :thumbup:.

Thank you everyone for the help!

BTW, when using the washable markers do I just complete the quilt then wash to get the marks out? I guess what I mean is if it takes me a while to finish the quilt will the marks still come out after sitting so long?