Has anyone make "home made" stencils. I have a design I found in a book but I'm not sure how to go about making my own stencil. Any suggestions. This a stencil so I can put the design on the quilt and hand stitch it.

Yes, I've made them.
I bought Mylar and used one of those carving blades (the pointy one that Olfa makes)
Hope this helps!

Yes I have but it was more a template then a stencil. I broke the motif down into sections and cut templates out of stencil plastic to use to transfer the motif to my quilt.

Another motif in the same quilt I drew my design then traced it onto tracing paper so I could see through the paper for placement. Once the motif was where I wanted it, I slipped a piece of Transdoodle transfer paper under the tracing paper design and transferred it to the quilt with a stylus. This method also worked but I found the transdoodle rubbed off very easily so had to go over my transfer with a fons and porter mechanical pencil. I also had to make numerous tracings of my original design because the stylus tore the paper very easily and it only lasted for about 3 or 4 transfers.

I have read that Saral transfer paper works just as well and is a fraction of the price. I plan on ordering some and see for myself.

First transfer the design to freezer paper or something similiar. They actually have template plastic that after having your pattern marked on it you then use a special heated tool that cuts and melts your design in the plastic template.

I would do a google search for quilt template tools.

You can also trace the design onto paper using a light box or the window. The cut out the design and you then trace around the design as your would a template.

Pam M

I have done it. In fact, I am just finishing up a quilt where I made a stencil of a music staff. I found a .jpg file that I wanted to use, enlarged it to the size I wanted, then printed it out. You can use card stock to print on, or you can use regular paper and transfer the design to something heavier. I ended up using a thin cardboard letter mailer that I had received in the mail and it worked great.

I used an Exacto knife to cut out the stencil lines, testing it to make sure the cutouts were wide enough to accommodate the marking pen I used. If you're using something like a pounce pad, the lines wouldn't need to be very thick at all.

Good luck. :)

you'd trace the book design onto the mylar and cut with the craft knife. remember to keep parts uncut so it doesn't fall apart.

go to the post of March 21. the subject was Stencil Cutter.
I wrote a long piece about cutting your own stencils.

I took a class a couple of weeks ago where the teacher used tracing paper over the design to copy it to the tracing paper. Then she laid tulle over the tracing paper and traced the pattern onto the tulle with a Sharpie (Sharpie doesn't go through the tracing paper). Then you have your tulle template (secure it to the quilt materials) and can use a chalk pen to trace over the tulle template.