CaleyH

I'm in the process of making a lot of HST blocks from a lot of material I want to use.

I found a pattern online that shows several ways of putting such together.

Unfortunately doing this on the living room floor is just about impossible with so many blocks. So I need to make what seems to be called a "Design Wall". Since I live in a pretty small house, and wall space is basically non-existent, I have to design something I can hang over the front of my bookcases. What I've come up with is eight (8) sheets of paper/foam hobby board that I have duct taped together for the wall. I will install two hooks at the top of my bookcases, and then put two reinforced holes in this hobby board, so it can be hung.

What I need to know are the types of materials that are used that you can stick cotton fabric squares to. I experimented, and found cotton batting seems to work holding these squares, though I'm not so sure just how long they wills tay in place.

Hope someone can suggest how to make this wall based on the materials I have on hand. I can purchase the material that hopefully will hold cotton HST blocks, if my cotton batting isn't good enough.

Peckish

I have tried them ALL and found that W&N was the stickiest. I tried other battings but W&N worked best. My 100-pound black lab could run by with his tail wagging and whacking the wall of batting and the blocks would stay. I found that even entire sections and rows would stick without having to use pins.

Synnove

Cotton batting would work well. I use flannel. I pieced a couple widths together, sewed small plastic rings to the top and hung it on nails pounded into the wall. Yep, I'm just that fancy! You will love having a design wall. I have become a much better quilter since using one because it gives me the opportunity to actually see the whole, rearrange pieces, check values, etc., without having to worry if someone is going to come through the room and disturb everything.

cjsews

I use the flannel side of a vinyl tablecloth. After holidays you can find them on sale. Just make sure it is a flannel backed one. I have two that i take to retreats and just use the Command strips to stick it on the wall.

Julienm1

I quickly made a design wall recently using a polar fleece blanket pinned to a curtain rod. Just love it.

jcrilley

I have used a flannel sheet tacked to my wall for years. Works for me!

Snooze2978

A tablecloth with a flannel backing works well I'm told or just plain old flannel. I purchased a design wall covering 3yds so its 108 x 108 and looks to be made out of flannel. I also picked up from my local lumber shop some 1.5" foam board to put behind it so I can stick straight pins in if I so choose. The flannel cloth came from a place called EverythingQuilts.com. Might check it out. I know I'll be cutting my down some but at least its long enough for what I need. Now to find someone to help me get it all up and working. RIght now I'm just using a large piece of 80/20 batting as I buy it by the roll.

QuiltE

My design walls (yes, plural!) are all covered with fleece.

Before I made my first, I tried all the different covering options, painter-taped temporarily to a wall, to find that the fleece seemed to have better hold-power than the flannel, batting etc. My really big one is permanently mounted on the wall, using tentest as the base, then the fleece. I have another smaller, but still large, mounted on a wall which is corroplast covered with fleece. Then I have others not mounted, that I can lean against the wall, again corroplast for the base.

Good Luck with fine tuning your new wall ... and ENJOY using it!

juliasb

The best and least costly I found to make a a large enough design wall was a large cut of felt. My pieces and blocks stayed right where I wanted them to stay all the time. Easy movement for placement. Easy to roll up out of the way.

CaleyH

Thanks Everyone I guess I might try the vinyl tablecloth. It can then be rolled up and put out of the way.

In order for me to photograph my last quilt, about 110x80, I had to purchase a long curtain rod with rings with clips, so I could hang it. Only place I had open that was big enough was the entrance between my kitchen and living room.

I figure I can hang the quilt design thing in the same place. I'll use the 1/8 foam board I purchased for my friends STEM class on automobiles (balloon powered car)/physics.

I'll have to price the flannel to see if I can afford it. If not, the scraps of cotton batting will have to do for now.