DESIGN WALL

Rookies fall in love with patchwork if they can see their quilt grow right before their eyes! If the workshop location has space for it, position your Rookie directly opposite a design wall.

A piece of old-fashioned, flannel-backed vinyl, the kind sold by the yard for tablecloths at a Ben Franklin store, makes a fantastic, inexpensive design wall. Tack up a 6-foot length, placing vinyl against the wall, flannel out. You’ll find you can lay up pieces, blocks, whole strips of patchwork, without pins! This material is 1000% better than batting or flannel (which require pinning). 

Classic tablecloth vinyl in red or blue check is great—the checks show through faintly, creating a grid that helps keep rows of patchwork from running down hill. 

If you want to purchase a ready-made flannel/vinyl design wall, the Fons & Porter Design Wall is serged around the edges, has grommets at the top for hanging, and includes a grid that shows through to the vinyl. To find out more about this product, click here.

Tips on flannel-backed vinyl for a design wall:

• Design wall material must lie directly against a flat surface (a wall) so when you lay up patchwork elements, your hand presses against a firm surface.
• Ideally, the wall surface is continuous, i.e., no door trim, door knobs, window trim, etc. Irregularities result in pieces fluttering to the floor!
• Keep the bottom 12” or so free of patchwork for a totally portable and storable design wall.

Fold bottom edge up, flannel-on-flannel, lining up bottom edge with bottom row of patchwork. Continue folding horizontally, vinyl always against patchwork, until you reach the top (Stand on a step stool, not a chair!).

Next, make vertical folds; the quilt-in-progress becomes a tidy package, vinyl side out. When package is opened, patchwork is intact. Carefully re-hang design surface, being careful not to ruffle surface as you unfold (working with a friend helps!).