I use a lot of stencils..For those and free hand designs I use plain old cheap chalk sticks..I mark areas at a time so it doesn't wear off before I get to it

I haven't tried it yet, but I saw a tutorial where you make your design on paper. Then take toole and trace the design with permanent marker. Then place on your quilt and with a chalk marker trace over the toole.

If a quilt is loaded onto a frame, I like to use chalk--either the Ultimate in the pounce (white on dark fabrics, white mixed with blacklight chalk for light fabrics--turn the lights off and the blacklight on and the marks look fluorescent green) or a chalk wheel. I also use a product called Miracle Film, made by Marathon (they make great threads, too). It is a clear perforated plastic sheet which comes in a roll. I mark my design on the smooth side of it with a permanent thin-line Sharpie, allow to dry overnight (or cheat and dry it with my hairdryer) so the black doesn't transfer to the fabric. Spray the rougher backside of the Miracle Film lightly with a temporary spray adhesive and apply to the quilt top. Stitch through and tear the film away. I find it tears away very easily, much easier than Golden Threads paper. It is designed to be a heat-away stabilizer---you are to hold a hot iron over it, not touching it, and the product just balls up and you can brush it off. But it tears away so easily I have never had to do that. The only place tiny bits may get stuck is in areas which have been quilted heavily and you have to try to remove tiny slivers from between stitching lines. When that happens I use a hemostat if my fingernails can't get it. There's another heat- away stabilizer made by another well-known company whose name escapes me right now, which also works equally well, but it's a bit more expensive than Miracle Film.

I am learning just how inventive quilters are. Some of your suggestions and ways of doing things are so simple. I can't wait to try them out. Thanks so much. Keep them coming.