I see some really nice quilting designs in books and magazines but how are you supposed to transfer them to the quilt to either FMQ or hand quilt?

I use transfer paper, trace it, stitch through it and it falls to pieces. love it

I copy it to vellum and cut out the larger designs and then free motion the smaller lines.

i was wondering the same thing thanks

I use a photocopier, enlarge it to the size I want, make a ton of copies and tape the paper to the quilt and quilt it (kinda like paper piecing). :D

trace thru on your fabric with light box
make a stencil
templates (non stencils) if shapes are large enough and then add details as appropriate
I made my own large light box by using a 24"x48" plexiblas and opened the dining table and put light under it.
If using a light box can mark each block before putting together

Great post. Helpful tips.

I'm the kind of gal that will either free-motion it, ditch it, echo it, or forget it! I hate marking on my quilts. I've done it, but don't like it.

I have done a stencil - didn't really care for it. Just hard for me to follow, for some reason, and I worried that the fabric pencil I used wouldn't wash out, even though I had pretested.

I sometimes use tissue paper to trace a design on, and then quilt through it and tear it off. But it is not my favorite method because there are little bits of tissue paper caught in the stitching, and you have to get the tweezers out.

I have also traced simple designs onto freezer paper, ironed that onto the quilt top and stitched around it - worked well but the design has to be very simple.

I use masking tape to mark straight lines. That is a favorite method of mine - just stitch along the edge of the tape, and reposition it when needed.

LOL-- I've done both of these and experienced the same issues. I suppose if I absolutely have to mark the quilt, the blue pen that washes out with water is my favorite. Second favorite it the purple one that disappears on it's own.