I need to mention something first.. it's a bit awkward. Because of my disability, I cannot do many things that I would love to. So going to guild, getting together with friends, joining a class.. none of this happens for me. So basically while I have been blessed with many friends, my actual quilting friends are one, 15 minutes from my house, one 20 minutes from my house, but she is so involved in many things we don't get to see each other often and my very best friend is in Tum Tum, Wa. and we have met ONCE in the 15 year friendship.. So when I have something fun to share, until you allowed to enjoy the company of this group, my two Bichons got all the neat news. So my Ah Ha moment. I am working on two baby quilts for the same little girl. The first one has a total of 64 4 1/2" blocks, one thing border, and the main border and I plan on running a long stem flower up the side. I have my felt wall but it has a quilt piece on it and I was trying to figure out I could lay this out and yet the blocks around. And I remember something I saw at Wal-Marts. It's like a talking board. It measures 48" wide and 36" high. the center part is, if my math is right 32" and there are two panels of 8" ea that fold over it. So when extended it's 48" x 36". I can use plain striagth points to place my blocks and then move them around until I like the color placement. And I can then leave it and live with for a day or so before I set sewing the pieceing together. I have a small layout that shows how to place the blocks. At that point once I get it sewned, I can then put it back on the board and pick out several of the various fabrics that I want for borders. I like to wait before I cute the borders so A. there's never a size problem due to my error and B. I can cut a strip, pin and see how it looks. So today, on the way home my regular hospital run, Les started at Wal-Mart and got the dark one for me and I love it. I just thought it was a great idea to share with someone that doesn't have a whole lot of room to work with and you can fold the panels over and lay it down flat and your blocks are still there. The quilt is all Lakehouse fabrics and you can't get much more femine then that. I am making her a regular happy and bright color normal baby quilt, but I just want her to a larger quilt to grow up with her. One I get the layout on the board, by the time I add on the two borders, I think it will be fine. Hope it's a thought that someone can use. Blessings..

Love the concept but ... what is a talking board ? where did you find it at WalMart ? Would love to check it out :lol:
Thanks for sharing

I found it in the aisle that has the shipping stuff and the flat boxes. They have several aisle's with business stuff, papers, notebooks, etc. They come in either white or black. I got the black. A talking board is something you can place facts, pictures, etc. on when you are trying to sort through vaious pieces or inforamtion . You change what's on ot, add various thoughts, word or deals.

I will have to look next time I am there... THANKS for the info :thumbup:

I have one of these and I covered it with flannel on both sides, made like a pillowcase and sliped it over the board and pinned it. Works fantastic. They are also used for doing demonstrations at meetings. A great find for a portable design wall.
Lorraine

Thanks for the info and I'll have to check out my Wal-Mart's for it!!

I will look too. thanks

oooh, I don't have a Walmart here in Great Britain, but it does sound like a great idea. I think I'll look through all the stationery stores on-line in case I can find one on there.

I'm sure G.B. has office supply stores. They will have them for sure. And if you something similar to Wal-Mart you can check
there. I would offer to buy one for you and send it but it would extremely awkward to mail. But check with the office supplies stores in your area.

The one that I purchased was approx. $18.00 us dollars of course. Hope this helps.

thanks.

From your description it sounds like the boards they sell here to do jigsaw puzzles on, you can leave the bits on the board and fold it over. I am going to have a look!

I was just about to suggest the same thing!

I am glad that you found a good (and affordable) solution to your layout problem AND that you have access to this group of quilters from the comfort of your home.

thank you Martina, I do appreciate that...

Thanks for the info, I need a disign wall but do not have
the space and I think this will be just what I need.

Interesting. I need to try this. Thanks for the tip.

Great tip. Glad this board helps you get through the day.
You must get pretty lonely and that gets old. My new BF has severe back disabilities and walks with a cane and really needs a wheelchair since she trips and falls often. We went out the other day and had a 'girls day out' We had a ball. Of course she was in bed for three days after-too much excitement. She tells me every time I speak with her how much she enjoyed our outing and she hopes we can do it more often. I hope you are able to find someone to do things with or that will visit you or call you often. Blessings to you.

thank you. I am blessed in that I have a companion of the passed 7 years. And while he loves to roller skate and bike ride, I make sure he has his time to do those things and je makes sure that he takes me to special places that I would like to go whenever. And as with your friend, one fantastic day can put down for three. But, sometimes the trade off is worth it.

blessings

Blue,

Is it possible to take a picture of your talking board? I stopped at Wal-Mart tonight and couldn't find anything like what you describe. I cannot figure out what you are describing but it sounds like a great idea and I would like to get one. Thanks!

I will be happy to. It has blocks on it, no particular order, but I can still take a photo for you. I post it in a few minutes,

Thank you so much!

I think you can see where the.. what I call, my talking board, has the two panels that bend or fold forward. It can then sit alone, or you use something to attach it to a wall if you don't need a big area, or you can place a round with the blocks, not using the pins as I have, and close the two pieces and everything is left right where it is. I just wouldn't pick it up and walk away with it as you could lose your work all over the floor.. not that YOU would, but I have been known to have a slippsy or two... especially when sewing blocks together and you have a stunning perfect 9 patch, seams are perfect, measures to the exact deminsion and then you notice that the block in the middle of the nine patch is facing the wrong way. But only after you have already sewn most of the quilt together.. Ahhh, makes me want to take up drinking. But that's to much of a waste of good fabric money.

Thank you for such a wonderful idea. My stageing board (for lack of a better word) is merely a plastic picnic tablecloth, cut in half and hung over the door to sewing room with the back side exposed, which is that clingy fabric. The blocks stay nicely upon it but I cannot take it down and store like you have when needed. I certainly will check out WalMart next time we're in town. I am pleased to know that you enjoy quilting since you are unable to attend a lot of guilds and the like. Quilting does make a day go fast and the accomplishments are so rewarding. May I send you a personal message?

I just went online to Staples. They call them presentation boards or display boards. Staples has several kinds - foam core or corrugated plastic, all tri fold, but open up to 36x48.They come in black or white and are about $14. Cover with flannel and you've got a great portable design wall like the picture blue showed.

I would be very pleased to receive a Pm from you. :)

What a great idea! I'm using one half of my family room for sewing right now and use the carpeted floor to lay out my blocks. But I can't leave them there long because my furry sewing assistant likes to come over and rearrange them to his liking. This folding presentation board is the perfect solution and I'm going looking for one today! Thank you for sharing.
P.S. I love the fabrics on your board in the photo. That is going to be a beautiful quilt!

thank you.... I am hoping that aftdrr it comes together, it will be the baby quilt that I wanted that would grow for a very pretty baby girl. So it should end up a nice lap size. Don't know if you could see the fabrics at the bottom. I always lay various fabrics along the way to see which one is going to grab me by my throat and scream ME! ME! for the borders. It looks like the green with the polka dots will be the narrow border and there is a floral pink with very soft shades and green leaves in it for the secondard border. Then I have the cream colored ruffle for the last border. I may probably drop the seond border and just use the green dot and the ruffle.. not sure yet. I do have a really stunning color for the backing. And I will be printing out a small montage of baby pictures for the back of the quilt, including the photo of her Grand pop holding her for the first time. (My sweet man) so wish me luck. As I am the reigning queen of take aparts, I am sure that the extra fabrics that I always buy will be well used..

All thumbs, I love your avatar! What is it called?

I have taken one of the old cardboard like table mats that fold up and used that in the same way. Sometimes you can find them in a thrift shop for about $1. I have glued batting to it and I can keep it under the bed in the spare room when I don't need it. I also have a design wall but I usually have several projects going at the same time so it is nice to have the backup. Good idea on your board. I had always seen them used for kids science projects but never thought of using them for quilting.

Blue
Thanks so very much for your tip. Next Wal-Mart trip, I am going to check it out. When you said you got black; my first thought was 'how do you see fabric that well?'
Then after seeing the picture you posted, it's a winner in my book. Thanks so much for sharing.
Don't feel alone...welcome to the board. I don't have any close friends that even quilt...much less friends. LOL Like my daughter told me... she and her hubby lost most when their twins came along, but children are special. Some childless couples don't want to be around couples with children. Likewise, with me, where I live, is older people and they don't want to be bothered with grandkids. Mine are at the top of my list.
This site..I consider my bestest friends ever; espically the ones that I have really talked with. Enough said.

LOOKS LIKE A SCIENCE BOARD THAT SCHOOLS USE FOR SCIENCE FAIRS. You may want to look in that direction. Science boards are made of heavy cardboard - but can be draped in flannel to hold the materials....

This sounds alot like the science fair display boards. They come in either a variety of colors of corrugated cardboard or what is called foamcore. The foamcore is higher in prce and only comes in white, but would probably be better for use as a small design wall. If I remember correctly the dimensions are 36 x 48 when laid out flat and 24 x 36 when sides are folded to the center. If the sides are set at an angle the board can stand alone for display. These should be available wherever you can buy school or office supplies.

I found mine at Joann's and they had them in styrofoam and cardboard...at the time they were both on special for 4.98 but now I think the styro one is about 15.00. I plan to cover it with flannel.

OHHH i have one of those puzzle mats! Just sitting in my closet. Wow what you can learn on here in just minutes!

Thanks (and i will check out my Walmarts also!

Sherri :)

Hi luvt2sing, Now I had to really think about this one because it was a pattern used for my Guild's block exchange last year. But down deep within my stack of quilting papers never to throw away I found the directions for Windmill which makes a 13" block (including seam allowance)

From white cut two 4" sq,cut once diagonally
From white cut two 4-1/4", cut twice diagonally

From blue cut one 4-1/4" Sq, cut twice diagonally

From dark blue cut two 4" sq,cut once diagonally
From dark blue cut one 4-1/4" Sq, cut twice diagonally

From light blue cut four 4" sq,cut once diagonally
From light blue cut one 4-1/4" Sq, cut twice diagonally

From flowered print cut two 4" sq,cut once diagonally

Perhaps you can figure this one out from the photo. Good luck to any and all who try to make this block. It was a dilly to say the least! ;-)

cool, I too will have to look into that at Wal-Mart :) Thanks

Now that's what I'm talking about ! What a great Idea ! So often we are crunchhing on space and whoever had the idea abot the felt or flannel ,again Great !I used the back of vinyl table cloth and that worked pretty good too !

thank you for the information, How much do they cost? Oh I guess that dose not matter, no money. Penny

...and Tum Tum, Wa is where???
K

My dad has one for his jigsaws that rolls up - just don't leave pins in it . . . .he is still glaring at me . . .