I know many of you must have design walls in your quilting studios. They are the ideal place to arrange your blocks to achieve perfect placement, leave them up for days on end to consider your layout, and just generally have a place to display your quilt blocks as you complete a quilt top.
I do not have a design wall. Occasionally, with a smaller project, I have been known to tape a piece of flannel to the closet door and pin up a few blocks. I love the concept of a design wall, I just don’t have a nice clear wall upon which to hang one. I am really regretting that.
In the photo above, you see the bed in my guest room, covered with hundreds of snowball blocks and pieced triangle setting squares. I spent hours yesterday laying them all out on the bed, rearranging them until I was completely satisfied with the look. Today I had planned to sew the 19 diagonal rows together.
Well, I received two phone calls last night that changed my plans completely. One was an invitation to have lunch with friends at the Hog’s Breath in Carmel (who could pass that up?), and the second was from my dear son in law. He called to ask sweetly if he might stay over at our house tonight and use our guest room. The winery where he works has asked him to come down to our area and pick up some grapes from some other winery. Of course we are delighted to have him all to ourselves, and I will plan some kind of fun dinner and we will have a ball this evening.
My immediate problem is now what on earth am I going to do with these gazillion blocks on the bed? If I had a design wall in my studio, I could just shut the door and sew the rows some other time when my house and calendar were less full. Should I carefully pick them all up and label them as Row One, Row Two etc? Can I possibly keep it all straight? Will my assembly end up with blocks all turned the wrong way or with the same prints right next to each other? Or should I just pick ’em all up and lay them all out another day?
Sure wish I had a design wall.
38 responses to “Why a Design Wall is a Really Good Idea”
I am on the lookout for a good design wall that I can roll up and take down or it looks good while up – since my sewing room is just off the front door.
I am on the lookout for a good design wall that I can roll up and take down or it looks good while up – since my sewing room is just off the front door.
Oh, by the way – beautiful quilt in the making!!
Oh, by the way – beautiful quilt in the making!!
I always pin them, by row, to each other and then just label the left end with its row number. Then I just lay them out on a countertop or cutting table. They may get a few wrinkles in them, but not too bad. It beats having to lay them out over again. I love that quilt. It’s on my someday list.
I always pin them, by row, to each other and then just label the left end with its row number. Then I just lay them out on a countertop or cutting table. They may get a few wrinkles in them, but not too bad. It beats having to lay them out over again. I love that quilt. It’s on my someday list.
I always pin them, by row, to each other and then just label the left end with its row number. Then I just lay them out on a countertop or cutting table. They may get a few wrinkles in them, but not too bad. It beats having to lay them out over again. I love that quilt. It’s on my someday list.
I always pin them, by row, to each other and then just label the left end with its row number. Then I just lay them out on a countertop or cutting table. They may get a few wrinkles in them, but not too bad. It beats having to lay them out over again. I love that quilt. It’s on my someday list.
If you have spent hours laying them out, you certainly don’t want to do that again! Take a little extra time and scoop them up into rows and label the rows. It will save you time later.
I couldn’t live without my design wall, but of course I realize you need to have the space in order to have one. It really is helpful to my design process, though.
If you have spent hours laying them out, you certainly don’t want to do that again! Take a little extra time and scoop them up into rows and label the rows. It will save you time later.
I couldn’t live without my design wall, but of course I realize you need to have the space in order to have one. It really is helpful to my design process, though.
Can you pin them to the sheet on the bed and then roll up the sheet? It would save re-doing the whole thing.
Can you pin them to the sheet on the bed and then roll up the sheet? It would save re-doing the whole thing.
Beautiful quilt. I love Kansas Troubles.
I would pick them up by row and be sure and label this end up ^ so you won’t twist them around. It would be a shame to have to redo all that just when you have it the way you like it.
Beautiful quilt. I love Kansas Troubles.
I would pick them up by row and be sure and label this end up ^ so you won’t twist them around. It would be a shame to have to redo all that just when you have it the way you like it.
Oh, I think the answer is clear!!! Dear son-in-law will just have to sleep on the couch. I am sure he’ll understand. ;0
My guest bed is also my design wall.
Oh, I think the answer is clear!!! Dear son-in-law will just have to sleep on the couch. I am sure he’ll understand. ;0
My guest bed is also my design wall.
I’d pick them up in rows and label them by row. I use those little mylar labels, that have the row and block number on them. I rarely do the blocks just the first one in each row. I thought they were kind of silly but now I really love them.
I use a flannel backed vinyl tablecloth tacked up at the end of the hall. Its not glam but it works!
Have fun.
I’d pick them up in rows and label them by row. I use those little mylar labels, that have the row and block number on them. I rarely do the blocks just the first one in each row. I thought they were kind of silly but now I really love them.
I use a flannel backed vinyl tablecloth tacked up at the end of the hall. Its not glam but it works!
Have fun.
Oh Boy – I feel your pain on that one, a design wall would certainly come in handy. Beautiful quilt and a wonderful evening with your son-in-law.
Hugs – karen
Oh Boy – I feel your pain on that one, a design wall would certainly come in handy. Beautiful quilt and a wonderful evening with your son-in-law.
Hugs – karen
I have a friend who purchases inexpensive flannel backed vinyl tableclothes. Then she can layout a quilt on the floor and roll or fold it up to move it and the flannel keeps it in place.
I have a friend who purchases inexpensive flannel backed vinyl tableclothes. Then she can layout a quilt on the floor and roll or fold it up to move it and the flannel keeps it in place.
I have used the back of a inexpensive flannel backed vinyl tableclothes. This words good at first, but does not last long. I am on the look out for a more permanent solution.
I have used the back of a inexpensive flannel backed vinyl tableclothes. This words good at first, but does not last long. I am on the look out for a more permanent solution.
I covered one wall of my sewing room with flannel. Just placed a strip of peel-and-stick velcro at the top of the wall and one on the top of the large piece of flannel (actually two lengths sewn together) and attached it that way. Not very fancy, but it works.
But that doesn’t help with your immediate problem. If you have enough floor space somewhere, you could transfer the blocks to the floor. Or else draw a simple diagram and number it, then number the blocks to fit the diagram. Good luck.
I covered one wall of my sewing room with flannel. Just placed a strip of peel-and-stick velcro at the top of the wall and one on the top of the large piece of flannel (actually two lengths sewn together) and attached it that way. Not very fancy, but it works.
But that doesn’t help with your immediate problem. If you have enough floor space somewhere, you could transfer the blocks to the floor. Or else draw a simple diagram and number it, then number the blocks to fit the diagram. Good luck.
I covered one wall of my sewing room with flannel. Just placed a strip of peel-and-stick velcro at the top of the wall and one on the top of the large piece of flannel (actually two lengths sewn together) and attached it that way. Not very fancy, but it works.
But that doesn’t help with your immediate problem. If you have enough floor space somewhere, you could transfer the blocks to the floor. Or else draw a simple diagram and number it, then number the blocks to fit the diagram. Good luck.
I covered one wall of my sewing room with flannel. Just placed a strip of peel-and-stick velcro at the top of the wall and one on the top of the large piece of flannel (actually two lengths sewn together) and attached it that way. Not very fancy, but it works.
But that doesn’t help with your immediate problem. If you have enough floor space somewhere, you could transfer the blocks to the floor. Or else draw a simple diagram and number it, then number the blocks to fit the diagram. Good luck.
I covered one wall of my sewing room with flannel. Just placed a strip of peel-and-stick velcro at the top of the wall and one on the top of the large piece of flannel (actually two lengths sewn together) and attached it that way. Not very fancy, but it works.
But that doesn’t help with your immediate problem. If you have enough floor space somewhere, you could transfer the blocks to the floor. Or else draw a simple diagram and number it, then number the blocks to fit the diagram. Good luck.
I covered one wall of my sewing room with flannel. Just placed a strip of peel-and-stick velcro at the top of the wall and one on the top of the large piece of flannel (actually two lengths sewn together) and attached it that way. Not very fancy, but it works.
But that doesn’t help with your immediate problem. If you have enough floor space somewhere, you could transfer the blocks to the floor. Or else draw a simple diagram and number it, then number the blocks to fit the diagram. Good luck.
I covered one wall of my sewing room with flannel. Just placed a strip of peel-and-stick velcro at the top of the wall and one on the top of the large piece of flannel (actually two lengths sewn together) and attached it that way. Not very fancy, but it works.
But that doesn’t help with your immediate problem. If you have enough floor space somewhere, you could transfer the blocks to the floor. Or else draw a simple diagram and number it, then number the blocks to fit the diagram. Good luck.
I covered one wall of my sewing room with flannel. Just placed a strip of peel-and-stick velcro at the top of the wall and one on the top of the large piece of flannel (actually two lengths sewn together) and attached it that way. Not very fancy, but it works.
But that doesn’t help with your immediate problem. If you have enough floor space somewhere, you could transfer the blocks to the floor. Or else draw a simple diagram and number it, then number the blocks to fit the diagram. Good luck.
Frustrating to have that happen especially after you took time to get the blocks just like you wanted them. I would have probably stacked the blocks on top of each other in rows. I usually use the floor for my design wall and then I stack the blocks from left to right. Beautiful blocks!
Frustrating to have that happen especially after you took time to get the blocks just like you wanted them. I would have probably stacked the blocks on top of each other in rows. I usually use the floor for my design wall and then I stack the blocks from left to right. Beautiful blocks!
I love my design wall. That was the first thing I had hubby hang in my sewing room when we moved in. I use it all the time. There is always something hanging there. When I do use the floor the dog always decides to come in and lie right in the middle of everything. LOL
I love my design wall. That was the first thing I had hubby hang in my sewing room when we moved in. I use it all the time. There is always something hanging there. When I do use the floor the dog always decides to come in and lie right in the middle of everything. LOL
Keep up the good work.
Keep up the good work.