AlienQuilter

What about the ink? I'm sitting here looking at my telephone book and there's lots of ink. Won't it get on the fabric? Especially the white fabric? I know it's on the back side but I'm thinking the whites/lights it might show through.

Up North

You will remove the paper before quilting the quilt so it should be fine. You can test it by placing a light colored piece of fabric in the phone book and closing it up for a couple days to make sure it does not bleed through.

AlienQuilter

Thanks! That's an excellent idea!

Tartan

I have an ongoing paper pieced Spiderweb quilt I am doing on telephone pages. Some of my pages have heavy ink and I make sure not to use steam when ironing. I use Elmer's washable glue stick on one spot to fasten the center section to the paper. I have not had any transfer problems.
I have several phone books stock piled for the inevitable shortage due to fewer home phones.

PlanoDebbie

Just finished watching a tutorial class on using phone book pages for string quilts. The lady teaching the class said to use very old phone books so there is less chance of any ink getting onto your quilt. Don't use a brand new phone book.

LadyElisabeth

What a good idea for all those phone books that pile up each Fall on my front porch. Sounds like we should keep them a wait a year to use them. Good plan.

snipforfun

How do ou get the pattern on the pages? I would think the pages would crinkle going through a printer and doesnt the print on the pages interfere with however you get the pattern on them. I like using Carol Doak paper. I know it costs more than using other paper but I just consider it part of the expense of making the quilt.

barny

My 90 yr. old sister made one on readers digest pages. It was beautiful. A string quilt. You could also use blank newspaper "paper". Someone on here told of going to the news office and getting left-over pieces, I think.ha

BellaBoo

Paper piecing requires the pattern to be on the paper. Foundation piecing doesn't need a pattern. You sew strips to the paper in any order you like. I use the thin deli paper from Sam's Club. It's the perfect size and easy to tear off. A box will last me a lifetime and much easier to store then a lot of phone books and I use them in the kitchen too. http://www.samsclub.com/sams/handy-w...00ct/196165.ip

PenniF

ironing the pages will seal the ink....on newspaper too.
useless info >> back in the "Upstairs/Downstairs" days- the butler would iron the newspaper before giving it to the "lord of the house" so that the ink didn't rub of on the guy's fingers. Couldn't have THAT !!
i've used newspaper several times as foundation - always dry ironed first - and no ink rub off problems thus far.