Click here to watch the video! 

One of our local customers, Candy Faith, stopped by the shop last week and told me about her breakthrough idea for using our stencils and chalk like a pantograph. There are a couple of ways to do this, but hers is the easiest I’ve run across. I’ve never quilted from behind the longarm, but after seeing Candy’s technique, I’m going to try it!

She’s making a quilt with a Bigfoot panel I hadn’t seen before. Here’s a link to it if you’re interested. It’s a great one! She uses our Bigfoot Footprint in the Woods stencil #40097.

Something Candy told me that you can’t really see in the video is how she plans to alternate the rows. She’ll do one row as you see in the video, then transfer the stencil from the opposite side for the next row so the design travels in the other direction. I think that’s a great way to create a more interesting overall texture.

If you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask. I know the paper Candy used works great, but chalkboard paint is another option if you want to make a board specifically for this. Really, any smooth surface that gives you enough contrast with the chalk would work. I do like the chalkboard idea, though, because erasing it would be nice and clean.

Candy used a Blue Pounce Pad. Did you notice how the markings almost looked white against that dark background? That’s what you can expect when using colored chalk on a dark surface. I’m actually glad she used blue, because now we can see that the particular chalk color really doesn’t matter - you just need enough contrast to follow the design.

Now I have to figure out where my laser stylus is hiding! I hope I still have it. I think they come with most longarm machines, but I never thought I’d have a reason to use mine...until now, that is.

Thanks for watching Candy’s video! And if you have a quilting idea or technique you’d like to share, send me a video. I edited Candy’s clips together into the instructional video you just watched, but the credit belongs to Candy. She did a great job filming and explaining everything - with no script!

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This story first appeared in our Full Line Stencil newsletter, where I share customer quilts, quilting ideas and tips, new discoveries, and whatever else crosses my quilting path that week. If that sounds like something you'd enjoy, I'd love to have you join us. Subscribe to our newsletter and come along!