Quilting with stencils
 

I am making a quilt for my DGD. It is just a simple quilt, with alternating 6.5 inch block and 4 patch block. I want to FMQ a floral design into the 6.5 inch block. I can do FMQ meandering/stippling somewhat okay but have never tried a specific design. I found a stencil at Hancock Fabric that is a 5 inch floral design, very simple design. They had so many styles and sizes of stencils and it was so tempting!!!

So, just how hard is it to follow the marked lines? Am I setting myself up for failure? LOL!! I will be using a disappearing quilting marker. What are favorite ways of marking with stencils? I saw the chalk and pounce and it was kind of expensive, $18. And what about the quilting paper where you can make you own patterns? How do you use that?

Practice is the only thing that will tell you for sure. Draw a line on a practice sandwich and try to follow the line without using any thread at all.

I mark most of my quilts with a Frixion pen. The dark fabrics I use a chalk pencil. Cheap compared to the Pounce method. Plus you can either draw your own pattern or light box trace a pattern onto your quilt. Playing with the different designs is fun.

I bought a roll of tracing paper at the office supply store and use that for some of my designs also. I just don't like picking the paper off afterwards. Tracing paper is the same as the expensive quilter's paper and works great. Good luck and enjoy. Don't be afraid to try new methods.

If I were you, I'd have a go with a practice sandwich to see if it will work. I've never followed a drawn pattern, but I imagine it would be easier than trying to draw without a stencil (which I am terrible at!)
I took a workshop recently and the tutor recommended using watercolour pencils to mark patterns with. I haven't tried it yet, but it makes sense, and she said she'd tried all the different "quilting" markers and these were much better! Also frixion pens might work, as the marks disappear when ironed, but can be brought back with a little while in the freezer, they then apparently wash out completely, although I have not tested this either!
Good luck :-)

I use stencils a lot. Because of needing to fit the stencil into the space needed and also dealing with corners I use paper to draw at least part of the border or corner. If I need to lengthen it just a bit, I cut the paper pattern and pin in into the space with little spaces between the sections or I put very small pleats into the paper pattern and fit it in. Sometimes it is necessary to alter 2 or 3 motifs to fill the space or reduce it. I don't mind stripping away the paper. It is pretty easy unless you are not careful in stitching the backtrack areas. Frixion pens scare me!. The steam away markers are great. I guess I am saying I combine methods to suit the quilt situation I am dealing with. I would recommend a couple of practice tries before going to your quilt. It is well worth the effort. I sew slowly so that I am in control. Good luck and have fun.

If the fabric is dark enough, I use white chalk applied lightly. It usually brushes off after quilting but a damp facecloth will take off any residue. I sharpen my chalk for a nice fine drawn line or through a stencil. I have posted my chalk with sharpener before but I will post again.
The trick for FMQ a drawn design is to use a marking method that is removable so you don't have to follow the design exactly. [ATTACH=CONFIG]513044[/ATTACH]

I saw something the other day about a women using freezer paper to paint on her quilt, after cutting it out the stencil, she ironed the stencil onto the fabric then painted the fabric. I would use the chalk method because I have bought several pencils and nothing has really worked on my dark fabric. I bought a sewline pencil that did alright but lines went away fast it wasn't real dark. Now I'm using a water soluble marking (white) pencil that is working a little better but not as good as I would like for it too. I hope this helps.

I use stencils with the washable markers (crayola or craZart)....test first to ensure they wash out....have never had one that didn't, but I still test....it does take practice, but it is so much easier than the paper because I can see exactly where I have to sew next, with the paper backtracking can be difficult....the only tip for following the lines is keeping the needle going steady and moving the fabric sandwich at a consistent speed, just like stippling....try not to stop unless you are at a straight line or point as it is difficult to regain the movement/flow in the middle of a curve.

you might try continuous line stencils. no weird stops.

I'm working on a child's quilt and want to put a simple design in the inner border. Picked out one that looked very simple that I could do with a walking foot. Ha! the border is yellow and I was going to quilt the design in red thread (very colorful quilt). Practiced yesterday on a practice sandwich and found that I couldn't stay on the lines....so I guess quilting will be done with yellow or white thread! I'm going to try to add a pic of the design--it's the simple egg-shaped one on the right (if it loads right!). I'm feeling very time pressured and want to get this done but really need to practice more!

Just remember - once the line is gone no one will know that you weren't on it. Try it, get rid of the line and see how you like it. When I first got my long arm a friend of mine was over and I was trying to follow a panto, she kept telling me I wasn't on the line - I told her the line is a GUIDE. When we took it off it actually pretty good .