Tips for Marking Quilt Tops?
 

I am a fairly new longarm quilter, and seem to get hung up when wanting to transfer a quilt pattern from paper to my quilt top. I've played around with some different methods, but it is tedious for me. Any tips from you wise, experienced quilters? TIA:o

I use pantographs...can you reproduce the paper pattern until the copies add up to the width of your quilt and then use your pattern as a pantograph? Maybe that would get you in the movement of the pattern you want.

P.S. I'm not a wise-and experienced quilter, but thought I'd chime in! Thanks!

I am not a LA quilter but I just read in tutorial section a thread marking quilts. It is for LA hope it can help you

Sorry, I am not a LAQ but I still use the purple be gone markers marking as I go on my DSM.

It actually can take some time to make a pattern. You can sew the paper pattern on your domestic machine without thread to make holes outlining the pattern and then use this pattern with the pounce powder. The other method I have used is to use the paper pattern like a pantograph. You need to line up with each block but it's not hard to do. If I'm marking my quilt, I only use the white pounce pattern, a white chalk marker (that I got from the pounce booth in Houston) or the purple air erase marker. I will use the blue water soluble marker on my own quilts because I will wash them, but I won't use on a customer's quilt as I have had the blue marks return. If the quilt is submerged in water, the marks will not return. Hope this helps somewhat.

Here is a tutorial I just put up:

http://www.quiltingboard.com/tutoria...g-t275470.html

Feline's tute is great and really helpful. I also use Pam Clarke's stencils that give you reference markings (like putting marks in the border so you can keep FMQ consistent) for several uses--and usually will use a foam paint brush and ponce chalk--it comes right off with using a netting scrubbie to whisk it off. FOr more complete marking, I'll use the blue wash-off pen or the purple air removal (but only short term cause it disappears rapidly). And I have a F & P fine chalk pencil and a thicker one--I only use white chalk, even with white fabric (I switch to my black light on my machine when I do that). Also, if you have a piece of plexiglass that stretches from your belly bar to the back of quilt, and a laser light that moves to the front, you can use drawn out designs--although I find that a little tricky.

I personally hate doing pantos--boring and I hate working at the back of the machine anytime, so I've tired lots of different marking methods--and really appreciate Feline's post for those that are very complex.

Do you have a laser light on your machine???

I do have a laser, and I tried using it to trace the pattern. There seems to be some distortion from the pattern to the quilted area of the block. May go back to using golden thread tracing paper. Thanks for all the input.

I use Crayola washable markers to mark my quilt tops and have never, so far, had a problem with it washing out. It is very easy sewing along the lines.