Portable Design Wall - Does anyone have one of these?
 

I was at the MQS show this week and saw these. I hadn't seen them before. I have to admit I thought they were pretty clever. I was curious if anyone on here had one and what they thought about them.



http://stores.palsproducts.com/-strs...ith/Detail.bok

Oh my, that's a little pricey!! It looks like an old movie screen that people used to have for showing home movies. I think I could adapt an old screen without too much difficulty. But, it really isn't large enough for a bed sized quilt... only a wall hanging. I guess I'd just hang a piece of flannel on a curtain for that.

Sorry I'm sounding a little negative..... just seems like it wouldn't fit my needs and too much $$ for what it is.

My husband and I just made a permanent design wall that is 8'x 8'. It could be easily made smaller and temporary. We bought four pink insulation boards(2'x8'), glued them on the basement wall and covered by batting. Cost total for the foam boards, concrete to foam adhesive and batting $75 - 85. I have a smaller portable design wall that is 48"x48" made out of a pink foam insulation board cut in half and held together using duct tape. It is also covered with cotton batting, and the cost was $0 since I used the stuff we already had, but it would be about $20 if you we're buying the supplies. The cheapest method by far is buying a flannel backed vinyl tablecloth and pinning it to your wall.

When I want to use a design wall, I hand a piece of flannel on a dowel between two wreath hangers which are hanging from the doors of a double closet. Works for me.

They're all too small for me (and bulky to store and expensive!!) I use a king size flat flannel sheet. I often pin it to the curtains, but it could be tacked to the wall, too, or hung on a curtain rod.

I have one of these. I use it some, but I purchased largest one. I have to set it up in living room. They come in different sizes.

mltquilt

Fons and Porter's website had a portable design wall. It cost me under $25.00,it is gridded so that I can keep the quilt nice and even. I bought some of the Command portable hooks that you can put on the wall and take off with no residue.I really like it. I don't have space to put a permanent design wall and unless I win the lottery tonight, I won't have anytime in the future. I kept the bag it came in and when I'm done with it, I store it back in the bag.

I have a similar one that I use. I LOVE IT! It is large and does take up some room, but to me it is worth it.

I have one by Cheryl Ann's Design Wall, but it is pricey too. http://www.cherylannsdesignwall.com/index.html
But it does fit in a small bag for storage and carrying.

I have a make your own design wall. It is amazing how much a person uses one if you have it. Unfortunately my cats think it is a climbing wall so when I get it out they have to play on it first.

I must be cheap. I purchase 3 plastic flannel back tablecloths (Wally World). One I use for lap size quilts, the other two I sewed together and use for larger quilts. If I need them to be portable, just fold and roll up.

I think that is a nice product. Pricey? Have you bought a large roll up shade recently? I bought a roll up shade for big window and it was about the same price and didn't come with a stand. LOL

I saw the. Portable design walls a few years ago at NEC Birmingham UK.
At that time it looked very flimsy although I did think it was an excellent IDEa.
Has it been made steadier.

IAt my quilters guild that I just joined, some put a flannel backed table cloth up with painters tape.
I tried that at home but the tape didn't stick to the flannel after a couple hours and I found it laying on the floor but the tape did stay on the wall. Any ideas what I did wrong?

Sounds like a good idea. Could you just use a couple stright pins and pin the tape to the flannel?

Sounds like a good ideA. Just take a flannel sheet or one small item I use just for a block is a jigsaw base to keep pieces safe I works just as well.

I'll give the pins a try. Thanks

Love the idea of wreath holders and a dowel rod.. I have three sets of french doors and could use that when the quilters meet at my house. Thanks.

I just made one from the directions on Pat Speth's site Nickle Quilts. It uses a folding cardboard dressmaker pattern board and curtain rods. Very easy to make and set up and it folds up for storage. Very inexpensive to make too. Sorry I don't know how to link the site but it is worth looking at.

I have a design wall that I made with sytrofoam board covered with flannel..... it became such a catch all for various blocks I took it down.. it currently resides in the guest bedroom ....... until I determine if I want to give it another chance... It's not lookiing for good for it... I'll stick with a sheet I think

I just tack up a flannel backed vinyl tablecloth and use it.

If money wasn't a problem and I really needed something portable - maybe. But I think it's too expensive and too small.

A couple years ago, Michaels was having a sale on artists canvas. Bought the biggest one they had and covered it in flannel and hung it on one wall.

I use the bed in our guest bedroom, lol. Cover it with a plan sheet and lay it out. Works perfect for me.

I saw directions on a blog recently for making smaller design boards. The insulation panels are available in smaller widths-- maybe 18" X 4', with tongue and groove slots for interlocking. Apply batting (or flannel) on the front side using spray adhesive, trim to reveal the slots, and mount to the wall with 3M Command strips. You can add or take away boards as needed.

I have a Block Butler semi-permanently up on my wall. It has a slightly sticky surface that works really well. It has helped me so much in the last 2 years that I cannot imagine how I survived without it. When it is not in use, I cover it with a wall hanging.

I hang a vinyl tabecloth backwards on the wall when I need a larger design wall. For smaller things I put a piece of dowl thru a tube of a piece of batting and hang it over the door to my sewing room. Works great for complicated blocks.

I got four large pieces of cardboard from Costco, taped them together, and blue-painters taped white flannel fabric over it. I move it around the house where ever I need it. I wash the flannel frabric whenever it gets too thready. Hmmm... I wonder if this might make me a redneck? :D

just hang some flannel on your wall and you have a very affordable design wall.

Last week I purchased a portable sketch board 18" x 18" made from masonite at Hobby Lobby for $9.99. Covered it with black fleece (held on with medium binder clips for easy color and washing changes). I take mine to UFO's and guild meetings for working on blocks. It has saved me alot of ripping out.

I use the back side of vinal table cloth I purchased at the dollar store. I use thumb tacks and stick them to the wall. Very affordable

I just use the super cheap flannel backed vinyl tablecloth. Don't think i would want to get a significantly more expensive one.

However I'm thinking I would prefer a fleece one for several reasons - more stable, could be larger, fabric would stick to it better. Now to find a big sale on fleece and decide what color I want it to be.

Same here. It works for me.

I use the flannel back of a vinyl tablecloth and hang it with the Command hooks. That is my "extra" design wall and I hang it over some closet doors when I need it. I also have the foam insulation boards covered with flannel as my permanent design wall.

My husband got me one for a gift. While it seems like a good idea in theory, it's really pretty rickety and yu can barely touch it as you put your designs on or you'll knock it over. Also, you have to put it somewhere where you knot only have room for the front, but also the legs that hold it up out the back. I have mine actually mounted on a wall, which unfortunately is a lot more expense for a design wall than if I'd just started out making one for the wall.

I also have "Cheryl's" design wall....the prices are comparable. I haven't heard anything about this one but am happy with mine. I don't want the hassle or have the room for a temp one that's home made. It looks like a good idea, but afraid it may be tippy. Mine sits full width on the floor, but you do have to do some assemble each time. Let us know if you get it and how you like it!

I made mine with insulation board I got at Home Depot (it's super light-weight, has no fiberglass in it and is the perfect size, but can easily be cut smaller if you wish), and covered with white flannel, which I pulled to the back and tacked down with duct tape. Works wonderfully, is very portable and cost very little to make! :)

Glad this thread has come up. I have been trying to decide how to make a design wall and all are good suggestions. (Can't afford to buy a pricey one). I was thinking of using a cardboard dressmaker's board which I have on hand and will check out Nickel Quilts site. Also have a few new flannel backed tablecloths. Will see how to use these, too.

Thanks again!

Anita

I bought the same 6x6 foot 'design wall' at a Des Moines quilt show and hung it with command hooks. Though it was 'pricey' my wife much prefers it's 'professional appearance' versus the fleece that I had previously stapled to the wall. True, it's not large enough for a complete bed-size quilt, it does work quite well for the center portion of all of the queen size quilts I've made thus far. So, it works for us.... Incidentally, my wife has absolutely nothing to do with my quilting hobby....

I just hung a 2yard piece of white fleece on a dowel and if I don't need it that large I just fold t in half. Fabric holds to it without pins. I tried old curtain stretchers but thay were too cumbersome