Machine quilting
02-08-2011, 01:19 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 364
Everyone has their own way of applying stencils. My two favorite methods are using water soluable pencil for large quilted items as they (the markings made) will stay on the fabric until you wash it out and air soluable marker when doing small items and small areas - whereas you have to work really quickly before they disappear. I don't like chalk, its too messy for me and sometimes doesn't all come out completely if you mark too hard on accident.
Explosive blessings, abundance and inspiration to you all!
- The Creative Seamstress
Explosive blessings, abundance and inspiration to you all!
- The Creative Seamstress
02-08-2011, 01:34 PM
#4
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Knot Merrill, Southern Indiana
Posts: 5,781
In my limited experience (4 years - handful of quilts)
I've used chalk but I've had a few problems with the chalk staining very light thread - very slightly (only I would notice it's there) - after the finished quilt was washed.
No, it doesn't come off very easily. It's a chalk pencil and you draw with it. They come in lots of colors (the one that stained for me was orange on cream thread). The other thing is if you make a mistake with the chalk you can brush it off with an old toothbrush. In fact, I try to do that now before I launder the quilt to keep it from setting in.
Another method if it's a small quilt (or small area) and a delicate pattern, is to use tracing paper then quilt through the paper then pull it off. Some tips I learned about this method:
1) pinning it doesn't keep it where it should be very well, and if it's a very intricate pattern there is not a good way to get pins everywhere you need them.
2) my LAQ recommend a spray (can't remember name and I'm at work (shhhh!) so can't look) - spray the PAPER (NOT the quilt) - let the spray dry to tacky then lay it on the quilt. the problem with this is the spray nozzle can gum up and "sputter" onto the paper in globs - if you don't catch it the globs stick to the quilt and it WON'T come out - at least it didn't on the FLANNEL I was using. Also, I was picking the paper out from under the threads with a tweezers for a long time. Pain in the butt.
I've seen the "pounce" but I've never tried it.
Tried lead pencil - it's OK for some light (but not white) fabrics, but obviously can't use it with darks. Doesn't work at all once the batting is on cause you need a hard surface under the pencil, and even then you sometimes get pencil drag and can (if your not careful) put a hole in your quilt top
Of all of them, I like the chalk pencil the best. I know there are lots of other products/tricks out there and I'm interested in hearing about others.
I've used chalk but I've had a few problems with the chalk staining very light thread - very slightly (only I would notice it's there) - after the finished quilt was washed.
No, it doesn't come off very easily. It's a chalk pencil and you draw with it. They come in lots of colors (the one that stained for me was orange on cream thread). The other thing is if you make a mistake with the chalk you can brush it off with an old toothbrush. In fact, I try to do that now before I launder the quilt to keep it from setting in.
Another method if it's a small quilt (or small area) and a delicate pattern, is to use tracing paper then quilt through the paper then pull it off. Some tips I learned about this method:
1) pinning it doesn't keep it where it should be very well, and if it's a very intricate pattern there is not a good way to get pins everywhere you need them.
2) my LAQ recommend a spray (can't remember name and I'm at work (shhhh!) so can't look) - spray the PAPER (NOT the quilt) - let the spray dry to tacky then lay it on the quilt. the problem with this is the spray nozzle can gum up and "sputter" onto the paper in globs - if you don't catch it the globs stick to the quilt and it WON'T come out - at least it didn't on the FLANNEL I was using. Also, I was picking the paper out from under the threads with a tweezers for a long time. Pain in the butt.
I've seen the "pounce" but I've never tried it.
Tried lead pencil - it's OK for some light (but not white) fabrics, but obviously can't use it with darks. Doesn't work at all once the batting is on cause you need a hard surface under the pencil, and even then you sometimes get pencil drag and can (if your not careful) put a hole in your quilt top
Of all of them, I like the chalk pencil the best. I know there are lots of other products/tricks out there and I'm interested in hearing about others.
02-08-2011, 02:37 PM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Oklahoma City, OK
Posts: 354
I have been wondering about using a sliver of old soap..? I have seen this mentioned in lots of my quilt books and was wondering if anyone has tried this? What kind of soap to use, any old kind ya got laying around or what?? Thanks for any input.
02-08-2011, 03:52 PM
#10
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Lake Wales, FL, USA
Posts: 1,554
Soap, hera markers which I think are soapstone, baby powder, cornstarch, etc. I even heard John Flynn suggest cinnamon one time on Simply Quilts.
I mark with a chalk pencil, just the area I will be working on for that row or spot. I've heard others who lay out their stencil and pounce the entire top then use hairspray--cheapest kind you can buy--to hold the chalk on. If you use the pouncing chalk, though, make sure it is the non-staining kind for quilters. Don't use the orange/blue/yellow chalk that carpenters & roofers use for snapping lines!
I've also traced onto very thin tissue type paper and used painters tape to hold it on the quilt and stitched right through the paper. That is my favorite method.
I'm afraid of the markers. Too many horror stories about them not coming out or coming out but resurfacing later.
I mark with a chalk pencil, just the area I will be working on for that row or spot. I've heard others who lay out their stencil and pounce the entire top then use hairspray--cheapest kind you can buy--to hold the chalk on. If you use the pouncing chalk, though, make sure it is the non-staining kind for quilters. Don't use the orange/blue/yellow chalk that carpenters & roofers use for snapping lines!
I've also traced onto very thin tissue type paper and used painters tape to hold it on the quilt and stitched right through the paper. That is my favorite method.
I'm afraid of the markers. Too many horror stories about them not coming out or coming out but resurfacing later.
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