Design walls

I was browsing around some quilting sites and came across design walls. I don't know how many quilts I'm ever going to make because I'm new at it. But how genuis! I have two cat's and if any of you owns one you know they lay down on anything you put on the floor no matter what it is. If you made one can you share your ideas :)

Lorie

I miss being able to have a design wall...my room is too small. Many quilters use a flannel-backed table cloth pinned to the wall. It's easily put away when you are done. This is IF you have a wall large enough. I'm sure you will get some good ideas here. Barb

Wecome to the wonderful and addicting world that is quilting. My design wall(board) is a large piece of foam insulation covered with batting. I used spray adhesive to attach them togther. It's completely pinnable and lives between the bed and wall in the sewing room.

Cheryl

I too have a small room so what I did was I have a large open shelve unit that my father made me years ago. These shelves holds all diffrent types of crafting supplies. Was wanting to cover those shelves so I tacked a flannel back table cloth over the front of it. So now it serves two purposes.

I have a clothes hanger rod that I have hanging outside of the closet. My husband mounted the bars right above the clost doors and slide the rod into place. I bought a large piece of cheap white fabric at job lot and velcroed it on. When I am not using it, I roll it up and tie it to the rod. The only thing is, it is not right up against the wall so it is free flowing so to speak, but I haven't had any problems putting anything on it with pins. It works and does not take up my valuable wall space.

I bought one of those design walls you get at a fabric store like Joann's. I bought it because it had a grid on it. I am sorry I spent that much money on it because I NEVER use the grid. This wall comes with one end grommeted, so my hubby screwed a board into the wall studs of my sewing room. Nails in the board allow me to hang it or take it down, which I never do. I don't have enough room to let it hang so I can use it all the way down, because it has to make its way behind my sewing desk and my husband's office desk. It doesn't matter though. It is just fine with me. I would not buy this design wall. I would use flannel, and make a nice way to hang it up, like several have suggested here. I think you do need one though. So many blocks look differently when placed differently, and that's the fun of designing a quilt.

I have a flannel back table cloth that I have folded to fit between the kitchen door and the back door in my dinning room and it is tacked on the wall with thumb tacks. I have also taken the foam board (used for presentations) and put a thin piled fleece on it with headliner spray and then I have also taken a piece of batting and pinned it to the wall and used it. With the batting you can roll your project up and put it aside until you are ready to get back to it. Good Luck.

Don't have one, but did get some great ideas how to do a temporary one, that can be put up and taken down easily.

Thanks for all the great ideas! I really don't have room for this either. My sewing room is in a loft with a half wall which has a cutting table and three of those tall plastic drawers lined up on it. Opposite of that is two more tables with my sewing machines( it's a short wall with a shelf and a peg board) On the other two walls one is shelves of fabric and the other a cabinet with two doors ,one of those Home Depot things. Wow, I'm kind of jam packed up there. lol

So, using some of your ideas I' m going to do the rod using those sticky type hooks, it will be against a hard surface and I can roll it up to get into the cabinet!

Thanks for helping and letting me brain storm!

Loie

I just had another idea! I can take the handles off the cabinet (I could pull open from the top) and put a panel on each side and I wouldn't have to bother taking it down. Yea another project!

Lorie

Lori,

Cheapest design wall is to just get a vinyl tablecloth at the dollar store. The kind with the fuzzy back. Works great. I've stapled them to the wall and have even pinned one to a piece of rigid foam insulation so I can move it around.

I think I'm going to do that Nancy. I put up some fleece (which worked great) to check out how it works but I only have pink, purple and some prints. So I think the table cloth and maybe some sticky velcro will be perfect for these doors. I'm already addicted!

I have a ton of childrens prints because of selling on Etsy so I think it would be fun to make up some little quilts to sell in a local shop over here. Then I can buy some some fabric! lol

Lorie

That was some more fabric. Got too excited there:icon_rofl:

I have a piece of purple fleece hanging on my only free wall....once in a while I have to roll it for threads but other than that it works great....I just don't look at the color!

lilmouse I found some light blue fleece in my stash and i really didn't look at the color either. But I'm working with purple so it looks all okay. If I was doing orange not so much. lol It's good for now though.
I'm so glad I found this concept! The fabric is safe from my kitties! I'll take some progress pics since this is really my first real quilt. And you have all been so helpful :)

Lorie