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how do you make a design board for watercolor quilt?
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Shira Chava
May 18, 2002, 8:37:22 AM5/18/02
to
i am making my first watercolor quilt and have discovered that its
impossible to plan it out on graph paper like i have with previous pieced
quilts. i have a toddler, so laying it out on the floor would not work. i
have tried flannel hung on the wall, but the squares don't stay. do i pin
them in place until i am happy with the design? is there some other trick i
don't know about?
impossible to plan it out on graph paper like i have with previous pieced
quilts. i have a toddler, so laying it out on the floor would not work. i
have tried flannel hung on the wall, but the squares don't stay. do i pin
them in place until i am happy with the design? is there some other trick i
don't know about?
tia,
sc
Sudrlg
May 18, 2002, 10:31:32 AM5/18/02
to
Hi Shira
here are a few problems and possible solutions to your flannel non-stick
problem
- it isn't fuzzy enough - when you look at it sideways, do you see little
furry bits sticking up? that quality is important for the flannel to work as a
design board.
- have you washed and dried the flannel with a fabric softener? that would
reduce the static electricity charge and make it less sticky. try a wash and
dry cycle without any additives - better yet, add some non-cotton fabrics to
the wash that would tend to increase static electricity.
- rub a blown up balloon vigorously over it's surface.
- i use a large piece of felt, tacked on the wall for my design board. it
works pretty well, but i do have problems when the ceiling fan is on high, and
also when i am putting up a large block with lots of seams. i remember having
to pin my 12" log cabin blocks - i guess there just wasn't enough surface
contact.
- i recently made a small portable board with a scrap of hobbs organic
cotton batt, tacked to a piece of cardboard. that is the stickiest of all the
fabrics i tried.
basically, this is what i've found to be useful - in ascending order -
poly batt - flannel - hobbs 80/20 - felt - hobbs organic cotton.
if i ever redo my sewing room, i would use the hobbs organic - but it would
need something a bit more solid than thumbtacking to the wall. otherwise, i
think it would tend to sag and stretch over time.
hth
deena/philly
here are a few problems and possible solutions to your flannel non-stick
problem
- it isn't fuzzy enough - when you look at it sideways, do you see little
furry bits sticking up? that quality is important for the flannel to work as a
design board.
- have you washed and dried the flannel with a fabric softener? that would
reduce the static electricity charge and make it less sticky. try a wash and
dry cycle without any additives - better yet, add some non-cotton fabrics to
the wash that would tend to increase static electricity.
- rub a blown up balloon vigorously over it's surface.
- i use a large piece of felt, tacked on the wall for my design board. it
works pretty well, but i do have problems when the ceiling fan is on high, and
also when i am putting up a large block with lots of seams. i remember having
to pin my 12" log cabin blocks - i guess there just wasn't enough surface
contact.
- i recently made a small portable board with a scrap of hobbs organic
cotton batt, tacked to a piece of cardboard. that is the stickiest of all the
fabrics i tried.
basically, this is what i've found to be useful - in ascending order -
poly batt - flannel - hobbs 80/20 - felt - hobbs organic cotton.
if i ever redo my sewing room, i would use the hobbs organic - but it would
need something a bit more solid than thumbtacking to the wall. otherwise, i
think it would tend to sag and stretch over time.
hth
deena/philly
DebsPrintOnIt
May 18, 2002, 10:50:35 AM5/18/02
to
One thing that helps with mine is that it is not straight up and down I have it
on the floor, tilted a little. You might be able to get that tilt on a table
with a close wall.
Debra in Idaho
on the floor, tilted a little. You might be able to get that tilt on a table
with a close wall.
Debra in Idaho
Ruth in Happy Camp
May 18, 2002, 6:01:21 PM5/18/02
to
Something else that might help is to "lean" the bottom of the flannel out
from the wall a bit. Do you have a long board, piece of doweling, anything
a bit heavy, that you could tack or staple the flannel onto? Of course,
this would mean the flannel will reach the floor and might defeat the
attempt to keep your design away from
busy little hands.
--
Ruth in Happy Camp
"Sudrlg" <sud...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20020518103132...@mb-ft.aol.com...
from the wall a bit. Do you have a long board, piece of doweling, anything
a bit heavy, that you could tack or staple the flannel onto? Of course,
this would mean the flannel will reach the floor and might defeat the
attempt to keep your design away from
busy little hands.
--
Ruth in Happy Camp
"Sudrlg" <sud...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20020518103132...@mb-ft.aol.com...
Voxwoman
May 18, 2002, 6:40:42 PM5/18/02
to
what about getting some foam core board from an art supply place? you
can then use push pins (or sewing pins) to hold the fabric, too.
-Wendy of NJ
can then use push pins (or sewing pins) to hold the fabric, too.
-Wendy of NJ
Sharon Gates
May 19, 2002, 5:18:40 PM5/19/02
to
I used a gridded flannel-backed tablecloth that I got at WalMart - I did pin
the suares, and that way I could roo up the tablecloth and the pieces stayed
secure. It' s easy to pin & if you don't like the placement of your square,
just unpin & move it.
Good luck.
Sharon in Montreal
"Shira Chava" <shira...@ureach.com> wrote in message
news:uecirfp...@corp.supernews.com...
the suares, and that way I could roo up the tablecloth and the pieces stayed
secure. It' s easy to pin & if you don't like the placement of your square,
just unpin & move it.
Good luck.
Sharon in Montreal
"Shira Chava" <shira...@ureach.com> wrote in message
news:uecirfp...@corp.supernews.com...
Shira Chava
May 19, 2002, 11:05:59 AM5/19/02
to
thank you for all these responses!!! i wish i knew about this group sooner.
i am going to try the foam core and pins- that way i can pull it out when
son is napping and then put it up and away from the walking octopus when he
is awake- also, that way i can work one section at at time. once i get my
own sewing room (in the hopefully not too distant future!) i will put up my
flannel and rub it with a balloon. that actually worked really well, but i
could not put it away from the little one.
i am going to try the foam core and pins- that way i can pull it out when
son is napping and then put it up and away from the walking octopus when he
is awake- also, that way i can work one section at at time. once i get my
own sewing room (in the hopefully not too distant future!) i will put up my
flannel and rub it with a balloon. that actually worked really well, but i
could not put it away from the little one.
thanks again,
sc
"Shira Chava" <shira...@ureach.com> wrote in message
news:uecirfp...@corp.supernews.com...
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