Pounce frustration
 

This is the weekend I decided I'm finally going to try all the nifty tools I've purchased but didn't have time to figure out. Right now, I'm frustrated by the pounce pad. I'm carefully brushing the pounce over the stencil, with a long, sweeping motion, multiple times. After each sweep, I prime the pounce with more chalk. When I lift my stencil, all I have is a faint, smeared mess. I've tried longer strokes and shorter strokes with the same results. I even got mad at it, and tried "pouncing" it one time. I've tried both white and pink chalk. (I'm practicing my fmq, so it's a good opportunity to play wirh different marking methods without damaging anything "important".) I even happen to be using a stencil I bought from the Hancy people. I know it should work better than this.

Pounce it several times. Sweeping doesn't work all that well.

Someone was going to give me a Pounce a couple of years ago. I am glad she didn't. I had Asthma when I was a kid, and I've heard that they can make your breathing difficult.

I hope you get a good answer to your problem. It's tough going to that much trouble only to have it be a mess.

Some folks prefer to put the chalk in a ziplock bag and use one of those foam paint brushes from the craft store to mark instead of using the pounce pad. You pick up some chalk on the foam brush and gently rub it over the stencil.


Rob

Try baby powder.

the Hancy and plastic Stencil is going to react differently. Pounce in the black container is chalk and must be pounced. Miracle Chalk in the red container (both in the eraser looking pad) is usually swiped. But again is applied differently. Have you looked for a YouTube of the type you have. Also, there have been many reports that the pink or blue chalk does not come out. The pounce chalk is removed by brushing and washing. The Miracle Chalk the same way but can be removed with steam. However I don't use steam because I don't believe with my non scientific mind the chemical in the Miracle Chalk completely disappears in steaming but still must be washed to remove it.

I have watched a bunch of YouTube videos. It works perfectly for the people in the videos. ;-) Since I'm just practicing fmq, it's ok if the color doesn't come all the way out. When I'm done, I will toss these into the dog's crate and he will have new blankies to cuddle up with.


QUOTE=Quilt30;7855270]the Hancy and plastic Stencil is going to react differently. Pounce in the black container is chalk and must be pounced. Miracle Chalk in the red container (both in the eraser looking pad) is usually swiped. But again is applied differently. Have you looked for a YouTube of the type you have. Also, there have been many reports that the pink or blue chalk does not come out. The pounce chalk is removed by brushing and washing. The Miracle Chalk the same way but can be removed with steam. However I don't use steam because I don't believe with my non scientific mind the chemical in the Miracle Chalk completely disappears in steaming but still must be washed to remove it.[/QUOTE]

i read a number of years ago that eleanor burns uses baby powder. she slightly dampens the fabric then rubs a bit of powder over it.

THIS MAY OR NOT BE HELPFUL ALWAYS TEST ON SCRAP

CHALK
For 25 years I have done freehand embroidery work and this has worked best for me.
I ground up different colors of chalk in my mill grinder to see what worked best [what could be seen and removed]. White chalk [baby power, or corn starch] can be vacuumed off on med and dark fabric no problem.
Other colors can be reduced in color intense with white, the more intense the color the harder it is to remove. I just use white and light blue now, the blue is reduced with white. Blue and white chalk is at hardware stores for snap lines [cheep].
You can use a vanishing power with a black light on any color [in the dark]. It is very good for names.
You can use cinnamon on light colored fabric.


PAPER
I use canary paper from an art or drafting supply.
I tear off more than I need and trace a design with 5mm mechanical pencil, place on a piece of ¼” foam rubber on a firm surface. Then I use a small needle syringe [for shots] and poke holes into the lines at key points about 1/8[SUP]th[/SUP]” apart following the design, then I flip it over and sand off the tips with a sanding block or sand paper. I have also used a clear plastic film a permanent marker and sanded the tips, or a small stencil burner.
Then I have a reusable pattern I can use over and over.

APPLYING CHALK
I took a short wide mouth ball jar lid and a nail [or drill] punched a lot of holes in it.
Took a ¼”green scrubber cut it to fit inside rim on top of the lid.
Took a scrap of velour about 3/8” larger than the lid and placed it on top of the scrubber then screwed the hole thing together onto the jar with my chalk in it. You will have to pounce a while till the chalk starts coming through good. Wipe off your pattern before replacing it so you don’t get shadows.
I did this, years before any thing else was on the market, and still use the same ones today.

PATTERN MARKING
Holding your pattern down firm with one hand, slide your chalk jar across your pattern in one direction only, you can repeat as long as you do not let up with your first hand. You can see if you need to slide again as long as the first hand stays in place. If it is wrong, vacuum it off and start over.
On the quilt machine I slide a 24”x48” piece of 1/8” plexus glass under my top fabric for a firm marking area, then, remove for quilting.

I am fast at this as I have done it for years. If you think this is to long, I don’t type, I peck.
I am just saying…..I hope this helps someone. [i posted this in 2010.]
Phyllis

Pounce-- as in Pat up & down. Swiping across does not work.