Pagzz

I used to have a light grey fleece design wall and it worked well. I liked it especially when I was working with blocks with white fabric as you could see the design well. I recently bought automobile liner fabric from JoAnn's because I heard Eleanor Burns recommend it. My first attempt with the auto liner didn't work well...regular fabric stuck but once there were seams in the fabric it would fall off. I didn't have the auto liner fabric stretched tightly on the insulation board so I am going to experiment with that and using the other side of the fabric. If that doesn't work I will go back to batting or fleece. If anyone has any hints on the auto liner please let me know...ditto if I have to give up on using it as a design wall what do I do with it????

Snooze2978

I used some leftover batting but I attached mine to the wall permanently and added a wood trim around it. I use my vacuum to suck up all the strings that accumulate from time to time and when my blocks don't seem to want to stick to the wall I spray some quilt spray, let it dry a little and then throw my blocks onto the wall. Seems to work for me. I made mine as large as I could which still isn't as large as I'd like since I've been making larger quilts lately. Still its 67"H x 88W. Have baseboard heat so that took about a foot on my height and I'm situated in the basement with low ceilings (open studs). But it works for the most part for me. My last sewing room didn't even have a design wall so I count myself lucky now.

KLO

I recently put up a removable design wall and I used headliner material from JoAnn's. I think I read about that here on the QB. It's what goes in the "ceiling" of a car. It has some body to it and fabric clings to the one side. I put two of those large round curtain grommets in each upper corner and then the larger command strip hooks on the wall. That way I can take the hooks off if I ever need to, I can take the headliner down easily if need be, and it was easy to do. Sometimes if I have a larger, heavier pieced top on it, I have to pin in a couple of places on the upper edge to keep it on so I use straight pins but that is not a problem for me.

mom-6

I am using the flannel backed tablecloth held up with pushpins, but want to upgrade. Have been thinking about using fleece

Jan in VA

Coopah,
Decades ago I put up my first design wall and it was 8 ft. x 4 ft.. I used one panel of home insulation board - that light blue stuff from Lowes - and installed it with a toggle bolt screw in each corner. This size was most helpful, for me, in designing larger bed quilts as I could see virtually the whole length of what I made, (Eventually I went to an 8 x 8 set up using 2 panels.)

I covered the foam with a layer of cotton batting, attached on the back of the board with duct tape. Nowadays I'd probably use a bit of spray glue to help stick the batting to the front while I smoothed it to the back for the tape. The reason I use duct tape rather than masking tape is because I've found the masking tape eventually dries out and pulls free of the batting or board. The batting does need to be pulled somewhat taut so that it doesn't eventually droop. Flannel droops less IF it is applied so that the straight of grain is running up and down on the board/s.

If you don't have a larger enough space to use an 8' x 4' insulation board, you could also use the largest foam-core board from the office supply store. These are thinner, smaller, portable, and more easily stored.

Jan in VA

DebD800

Mine's fleece. I sewed a big black piece to a big white piece so it's reversible, but I've only used the white side. I use command strips and a rod, just like Teacup is planning. I also put a rod in the bottom to weigh it down so it will hang straight. I have big clamps on the top to hold up quilts when they're done so I can take photos or just leave them up for decoration while I'm working on my next project. It works great as a design wall - pieces, strips, blocks and quilt tops stick to it really well.

zozee

I'm using a framed cork bulletin board with a piece of Warm and Natural batting pinned to it. Works great so far--portable so I can set it next to my machine or prop it up at a distance.

Skyangel

I had the flannel-back table cloth tacked to the hallway wall for many years, I didn't have room in the sewing room and it was right outside the door. Now in the larger house, I bought wide flannel, hemmed the cut edges, then tacked it to the wall with push pins. Works great! I did have to cut a small hold for the electrical outlet so I could plug in my iron...

DebbieJJ

This is what I do, and my DH drew a couple of straight lines across it and down the length (at my request) to keep me from going wonky with my blocks. I'm short, and reaching up to place blocks, they would keep going downhill on the wall!

galvestonangel

I covered a large bulletin board with Flannel and it works great for me.