design wall

[Janet K.]

I would like to have a design wall. Don't know where to start or how to make one-HELP!

[Paula D.]

Eleanor Burns has a terrific video about design walls, sewing machine inserts, and more. Basically, many people use styrofoam insulation boards and cover them with a flannel-type fabric. I'm pretty sure the suggestions will flood in......

[Janet K.]

Thanks! Where can I find this video?

[Margo C.]

Janet, first decide how large you want your design wall to be. In my humble opinion, they can never be too big!! :wink:
(I have a sewing room in the basement with no windows and two entire walls are covered with design walls!)
Take a straight pin and visit the insulation department of your local home improvement store. You will find several varieties of 4'x8' sheets of insulation board. They come in different thicknesses and different compositions. Use your pin to stab into each kind that is available and try to wiggle it around. You will be able to tell by doing that which ones will securely hold pinned quilts. Some will feel like the pin just going to fall out and some will be really difficult to even get the pin to penetrate! You want one that feels "just right"!

If you can't get the full 4'x8' sheet in your vehicle, have them cut it in half for you. You can use duct tape to put it back together. If you don't have room to mount the full sheet on your wall, you may want to use duct tape to fashion a hinge between the two halves. That way it can be a free-standing unit just propped open like a book, and can slide in a closet or under a bed when you are not using it!

To cover it you can use flannel which usually comes 54" wide so you can cover a 4'x8' sheet with no seams. I got mine at Hancock's of Paducah and it was 108" wide, so I have covered two entire walls with no seams! :shock: You can also use fleece or felt or even cotton batting as a cover. You just want a fabric with a fluffy surface that your quilt fabric will adhere to without using pins. That works for fabric swatches and blocks, but after you get a large section stitched together, you will need pins to secure the extra weight.

My flannel is white, and the pink color of the insulation boards I chose shows through. For my sister's design wall that we created recently, we used a light grey flannel that covered the colored boards, and it looks really good!

Cut your flannel (or chosen fabric) to be large enough to wrap around the edges of the board. Lay the board flat on the floor and spray the surface lightly with adhesive. 505 brand works well. Lay the flannel carefully on top of the sprayed surface and smooth it all flat by rubbing it with your hands. Turn the board/flannel over and secure the excess fabric to the back of the board with duct tape. That's all there is to it!

I used long sheet-rock screws about every 18" around the perimeter of the board to secure it to the wall. Someone else may have some better ideas for something that looks more finished.

Enjoy your design wall. I don't know how I ever worked without one!

[Margo C.]

For the frugal among us (that includes me :wink: ) a flannel-backed table cloth tacked to the wall works great.

[Renee H.]

I started by using a product that is sticky on both sides (marketed as a design wall). However, it would not hold fabric when I started joining blocks together (too heavy, I guess). I then covered this product with cotton batting stapled to the wall and reinforced by using a thin lathing strip at the way top to eliminate sag. Best set up I've had (five plus years). It holds up everything from blocks to quilts, although larger quilts need help from a row of pins up top.

Renee

[Lorna B.]

I bought a 8-9 ft length of warm and natural batting when it was 50% off. I used a staple gun and stapled it to the top of the wall. It is floor to ceiling and nice and wide (about 8.5 ft). I can have at least a couple projects up there at a time and love it. This is my first design wall. Previously I had always used a "design floor"--any floor space big enough to accommodate what ever project I needed to lay out. When it comes time to move the little holes up near the ceiling will require minimal spackling.

[Lorna B.]

i bought in a convenient store a 'canvas' for oil or acrilic painting, it has a wooden frame already build in. i bought two of them, covered them with flannel fabric, en voila, it is great as a design wall. success

[Paula D.]

Eleanor Burns - "Designing a Sewing Studio" on DVD available at her website.

[Paula D.]

Don't go for the commercial 'sticky' sheet one. Block Butler was it? Mine went in the bin after a couple of weeks.

I have my sewing room in our dressing room with a wall of built in wardrobes (new that I didn't want to damage). I found some thick corrugated foam boards and have taped them over two of the doors with cotton batting over these. The hinges of the doors are in the middle so we can still open the doors and projects don't have to be moved. It makes for a wall about 6 foot by 5 foot, better than nothing.

OH has now agreed I can look into extending the conservatory to make a workroom, unfortunately there isn't much unglazed wall space in there so I will miss my wardrobe doors! :roll: I will find a way however!

[Paula D.]

I'm with IPQuilter - I use a large flannel backed tablecloth purchased at Walmart for about $5. I got the largest one I could find. It is tacked to my wall with thumbtacks at the top (I do have a strip nailed to the wall for this, its not just in the wallboard.) Most blocks stick with no pins at all - I have even had a quilt 65x65 on it without a single pin and it did not fall off even though it was there for WEEKS! If needed though it is no problem to put a pin through it. Also, if you are going to be traveling it is easy to take down and simply roll and or fold. Works great.

[Janet K.]

I am so grateful for all the wonderful ideas for a design board and I just can't wait to put one up. I do my quilting in the basement and have studs on unfinished wall so i have wonderful space to use. You guys are great!!!! I will let you know which idea I try first. Janet

[Marion D.]

Just a note about the flannel back tablecloth: I can't have a design wall just yet, but I do have a tablecloth. It rolls up so the dog doesn't step on it and the cat can't lie on it!

[Marion D.]

For the frugal among us (that includes me :wink: ) a flannel-backed table cloth tacked to the wall works great.

THIS works great to roll your project up in and take to class or guild or sewing bees. Fons and Porter has a flannel back vinal design wall that is grided on the back. Good for helping you line it up. I put mine on the INSULATION style board, then roll my project up in it when I need to take it somewhere. The projects get there intact and ready for the next steps.



Lady Rags

[Marion D.]

hi there...I made my design wall in a similar fashion to Marge with one differance however....

I took strips of lathe and hammered nails in them every 6 inches or so. Just picture a very large comb. I just made sure that the nails were not too long ...just long enough to go through the lathe and almost the whole depth of the insulation foam. I then screwed the lathe to the wall so that the nails stuck out. Sounds weird I know, but then I was able to just push the flannel wrapped insulation sheets against the nails and they were attached to the wall without any nails or screws showing. It is working wonderfully. My design wall is floor to ceiling and 10 feet long. My only issue is that I wish it were bigger....lol. You can never have too much design room.... :wink: