If I can find the "Circle of Love" stencils -- I have NO clue if they're
still available -- I'm pondering how to mark this quilt top for machine
quilting on my normal sewing machine (Bernina artista 200/730 with a BSR).
I'm deeply suspicious of chalk. I've tried it. It rubs off. It does
NOT stay put when I manipulate the fabric as much as I need to do to MQ
on my 200/730.
Water soluble is my favorite, but that nice blue obviously isn't going
to show on the medium to dark fabrics.
Colored quilt marking pencils -- might work, but I can't find a color
that will show on all the fabrics. Plus the ones that wash off also rub
off (found that out the hard way).
Anybody ever successfully mark a quilt that was mainly medium to dark of
several different colors? What did you use? Were you satisfied with
the results?
--
blackrosequilts
My train of thought left the station without me.
http://community.webshots.com/user/blackrosequilts
2005 BOMs: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/blackrosequilts/my_photos
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White conte crayon is easy to use and does not rub off as easily as
chalk. I have had no problem washing it out. When useing conte's I
have stuck mostly to the drawing crayons because I know for sure what
is in them. I have had good results with some of the light colored
Conte pastel pencils as well, but unless you know your pigments I
would not recomend them.
I have taken to drawing out the full pattern at around half size on a
great big sheet of newsprint, tracing over the sections I have
finished when I have to lay it aside, and folding it up with the
quilt. That way it is much easier to figure out what I was doing
exactly when I am able to pick it up again. It's also a failsafe if I
lose some markings.
If ever I find proper sized dressmakers carbon again I will probably
expand my drawings, use a stylus, and just mark the whole thing with
carbon. Thus far I have had no luck useing Sally's carbon, and the
only dressmakers carbon I have tracked down lately has been the Dritz
which comes in strips that are about 6x18 inches. Flippin useless!
It's even a pain to use in garment sewing.
NightMist
--
The wolf that understands fire has much to eat.
"blackrosequilts" wrote...
I asked specifically what pencil she used to mark. The one she was
using looked grey and her fabric was very pale mauve. I have a silvery
pencil which doesn't show up for me.
She was using ordinary water soluble pencils - the sort artists use
(hers were Staedtler) and she said that she chooses a colour which
tones in with the fabric but can be seen. I said I'd used a fine
ordinary pencil and she said that was ok too.
I've just had a look in her 'Quilt it' book (which I love and already
had) and there she says pre-test that the marks will come out when
immersed for a short time in cool or cold water. If used sufficiently
lightly it may be possible to remove marks by sponging rather than
soaking, but you need to test beforehand. She also says remember that
these crayons were developed for use on paper, not fabric, which is
more absorbent and so may take up more of the pigment.
I bought a small tin of assorted pencils on my way home - they were a
different, but reliable (Derwent) make, but haven't opened the tin yet
as I have only just woken up! This way you would have enough colours
to be able to change according to the fabric colour. I also think that
a tin (I do like the tin idea) comes out cheaper than the quilt shops'
dedicated pencils.
The book is brilliant for someone like me who pieces the quilt, does
the backing and batting and then looks at it and thinks 'What now?"
Hope Barbara Chainey helps (its not my advice - I haven't tried it
yet, but her quilting was to die for).
--
Sally at the Seaside ~~~~~~~~~~ (uk)
http://community.webshots.com/user/sallyswin
On Mon, 22 May 2006 03:23:04 GMT, blackrosequilts
<blackro...@netscape.net> wrote:
--
Carole
Champlain, NY
http://photos.yahoo.com/ceridwen_rhea
Treasure your Mind, Cherish your Reason, Hold to your Purpose
Epictetus (52 c.e - 135 c.e.)
"blackrosequilts" <blackro...@netscape.net> wrote in message
news:s8acg.434$W97...@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
I also have an assortment of marking materials, and am dissatisfied with
them all. I just bought 2 water soluable pens, and to my chagrin, I could
mark my matgerial and watch the markins disappear within about 5 minutes!
OK Carol - what is the secret of marking?
--
Boca Jan
Southern Florida - land of the hurricanes
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/poo_de_doo/my_photos
"blackrosequilts" <blackro...@netscape.net> wrote in message
news:s8acg.434$W97...@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
Donna in Idaho
"blackrosequilts" <blackro...@netscape.net> wrote in message
news:s8acg.434$W97...@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
"blackrosequilts" <blackro...@netscape.net> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:s8acg.434$W97...@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
> I'm deeply suspicious of chalk. I've tried it. It rubs off. It does
> NOT stay put when I manipulate the fabric as much as I need to do to MQ
> on my 200/730.
Rose have you tried that new-ish Miracle Chalk? It doesn't rub off, so
I'm told; you have to get it off with a gentle ironing.
--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas
my ISP is earthlink.net -- put sfoster1(at) in front
http://home.earthlink.net/~sfoster1
AKA Dame Sandy, Minister of Education
> I just finished piecing the second quilt top (Sunset) in Thimbleberries
> Club 2005 (haven't taken a pic yet, but you can see what it looks like
> at http://tinyurl.com/6mqjl
>
> If I can find the "Circle of Love" stencils -- I have NO clue if they're
> still available -- I'm pondering how to mark this quilt top for machine
> quilting on my normal sewing machine (Bernina artista 200/730 with a BSR).
>
On e-bay http://tinyurl.com/gv3z2
at Cotton Patch on-line - http://tinyurl.com/kjfe2
> I'm deeply suspicious of chalk. I've tried it. It rubs off. It does
> NOT stay put when I manipulate the fabric as much as I need to do to MQ
> on my 200/730.
Miracle Chalk. Truly wonderful stuff. Works in a pounce to marking
with stencils is very fast. Won't rub off. It only comes in white (no
matter what people will tell you the blue stuff is regular chalk...NOT
the same thing) but I find it shows up well on medium to dark fabrics.
It irons off quite well.
http://www.miraclechalk.com/index.htm
When I used pencils it was usually the Roxanne ones. They come in white
and silver and between the two colors one shows up on any fabric. They
are soft so you aren't pulling and stretching your fabric.
marcella
Pati, in Phx
Marcella Peek wrote:
When you go to the link Marcella gives (below) the little square pieces
are what I have. Got a box years ago for about $6. Now they want about
$5 for a couple of pieces. Again, if you can find a tailor supply, you
can get a box rather cheaply. Sharpen with a knife to keep a sharp edge.
Shows up on most anything, even white. (Not sure about the pounce on
white, haven't tried it yet.)
Pati, in Phx
Kate T. South Mississippi
> Clover puts out a white marking pin. When you first mark something
> with it nothing shows up but almost instantly the white marker shows
> up.
Hmm. I found a white marking pen by Dritz, which didn't work worth
beans -- the marks were barely visible even on very dark fabric. I'll
have to search for the one by Clover.
I have tried Easy Mark soapstones, which are the same shape as the
square pieces in the picture at http://www.miraclechalk.com/index.htm .
I can tell you that they are *murder* to use with stencils. I may try
the Miracle Chalk some time since it comes in a pencil-shaped marker
that would obviously work better with a stencil.
> Pati Cook wrote:
> > When you go to the link Marcella gives (below) the little square pieces
> > are what I have. Got a box years ago for about $6. Now they want about
> > $5 for a couple of pieces. Again, if you can find a tailor supply, you
> > can get a box rather cheaply. Sharpen with a knife to keep a sharp edge.
> > Shows up on most anything, even white. (Not sure about the pounce on
> > white, haven't tried it yet.)
> >
> > Pati, in Phx
>
> I have tried Easy Mark soapstones, which are the same shape as the
> square pieces in the picture at http://www.miraclechalk.com/index.htm .
> I can tell you that they are *murder* to use with stencils. I may try
> the Miracle Chalk some time since it comes in a pencil-shaped marker
> that would obviously work better with a stencil.
Really, if you're going to use stencils it is much easier and faster to
use the miracle chalk in the pounce. Honest.
marcella
And I'll second this. Pencil-type markers (as in soapstone, chalk, etc) are
great for freehand and following templates, but are REALLY slow for
stencils. Pounce pads are the way to go for stencils.
For those who haven't used a pounce pad, remember that the name is
misleading, because you don't pounce with them (in any sense of the word,
you smart alecs!). You gently wipe them over the stencil several times,
being careful not to bend the stencil. In between uses, I give the pad a
light shake to make sure the powder is down at the surface, but other than
that, no shaking, just wiping.
FWIW, I have two pounce pads in my arsenal. One has Miracle Chalk, and the
other has regular chalk with a teeny bit of blue in it, for use on white
fabric. I haven't tried mixing the blue into the Miracle Chalk yet -- I'm
not sure the blue would come out with the Miracle Chalk, and I don't need it
often enough to be bothered experimenting. Maybe in about 20 years when I've
used up the chalk already in the pounce pad I'll experiment, but I'm hoping
there will be a colored Miracle Chalk by then. :)
--
Kathy A. (Woodland, CA)
Queen of Fabric Tramps
http://www.kayneyquilting.com , mailto:Kat...@KayneyNOSPAMQuilting.com
remove the obvious to reply
I just can't wrap my head around the idea of chalk, especially powdered
chalk, that doesn't rub off.
This is the first time in *years* that I've used stencils. I haven't
used them since I stopped hand quilting and started machine quilting --
until I got the BSR upgrade on my Bernina, I just winged it. Either I
did lines across the quilt of various repeating shapes (like hearts or
leaves), using pins as landmarks, or I stippled, or did freeform shapes,
or followed the lines of the block.
Quilting a quilt marked from stencils is fun (it's also challenging,
fighting the weight of the quilt to follow the lines without
jig-jagging). For Thimbleberries Sunset and Max's Really Green Quilt, I
used stencils based on the size of the blocks. I found the "Circle of
Love" stencils locally! (I love putting money into the local economy.)
Anyway, I get a sense of accomplishment after each block. Feels nice.
I fell back on the old tried-and-true but annoyingly rub-offy wash-out
pencils to mark Sunset. Meh, it'll work, I'll have to do some
re-penciling, but it'll work.
I plan on doing a lot more of this though, so finding better marking
methods and tools is something I'm going to be spending some time and
money on. I like the idea of pounce pads, sounds quick and simple, I
just really can't wrap my head around the idea of chalk that doesn't rub
off. I *will* try it, I'm just a little boggled is all.
Hair spray washes out...
As I said, it's just an idea.
Bonnie, in Middletown, VA
I appreciate the idea, but I'm one of a number of quilters on the list
with chemical sensitivities. I can't use hair spray if I want to
continue breathing. :-D
I have this pen! I used it to mark quilting lines on dark brown and
black fabrics, and it was great. You mark the line, wait 10 seconds
and it starts to show up. The line disappears if you get it wet or if
you iron it a bit. Really great! I should buy a new one, because I
don't know how long they last and I have another black project coming
up....
-- Jo in Scotland