I've seen the hard plastic stencils for quilts, they have the pattern punched out of the plastic. How do you mark your quilts with it?
I used a "quilt pencil" the other day to free hand a pattern, and I was NOT impressed with it. It really didn't want to mark the fabric. Had to push super hard. Then I tried chalk, that wasn't any better.
What do you guys use?

Some people use the Pounce Pad with chalk and have good results. I do freehand so I don't have experience with it.

Deb just posted some great tips on this thread:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-161849-1.htm

She uses baby powder instead of chalk, in the pouncer and sometimes applies it with a foam brush.

I watched a video where the Longarm Quilter said she rubs the Pounce on the stencil, instead of pouncing.

I use a #2 mechanical pencil. It works on all but the very darkest fabrics and I've never had an issue with it not washing out of any fabrics.

I also have a set of the mechanical chalk pencils - the thick ones - and they seem to work quite well also. I have a white thin one (Bohin) that seems to work okay on the very dark fabrics.

Could never get the pounce thing to work well and the other 'quilting' pencils and markers I've tried are just taking up space in various places in my house.

Her tips also said she uses Pastel Chalk pencils. She said you'd have to wash your quilt to remove the pastel chalks though. I'm going to try to find some and see how they work.

That "bug" (duplicate/triplicate posting) seems to be hitting different people on different days.
:lol: :lol:

I just discovered spray chalk! It's great!! works like spray paint and marks your quilt very quickly and easily. It washes right out, too. In the quilting tools section at Joann's and it comes in white or light blue. kind of expensive, so I use my coupons on it. But what a time and hassle saver. I also use Chacoliners. They are a chalk marking tool that has ground chalk inside and a little wheel at the end that dispenses it as you roll it along your fabric. Much easier to use than a chalk pencil.

I trace onto tissue paper, pin it on and stitch and then tear the paper away.

I was just at the lqs and they had new pens for fabric. Fine point, and friction from the rubber tip or heat from a iron will remove it. They showed me how it works and I was impressed. They have three colors.