Retractable Design Wall For Quilters

By Essie Osborn


Experienced quilters or those who are just starting out a first project must have a few minimum tools in order to do a good job. The equipment should include cutting tools or scissors, straight edge measuring devices, and needles. One other device which is not absolutely required, but is very helpful in organizing and taking care of your work is a retractable design wall for quilters. Here are some of the ways in which it can be a good device to have in your workroom.

Placing one of these devices on your sewing room wall means your quilt pieces are no longer spread out on the floor or taking up all the room on your dining table. When you use a table for quilting purposes, it requires a tremendous amount of floor space and means that the table can't be used for any other purposes while your project is spread out on top. Doing your designing on the wall rather than on the floor means your knees aren't challenged from kneeling on the floor and trying to reach all parts of the design.

The best retractable surfaces are designed to hold the quilt pieces in place using surface tension. The best options are a white or neutral background so that the fabric stands out from the background. You can move pieces around without struggling.

Because you will more than likely be interrupted in the middle of your quilting work, a retractable wall is a perfect solution. The blocks or pieces can be rolled up into the wall to protect the design and the entire project from dust, misplaced pieces or other problems. The concept is similar to the idea of a window shade which rolls up.

If necessary, you can hire someone to do the installation, or you can handle it yourself with minimal skills and tools. Just be sure to pick a spot that is large enough to allow you to easily reach all parts of your blocks. Pull the working surface down when you are ready to proceed and return it to the closed position when you have to do something else.

For the best results, place the equipment against a hard surface wall. This allows you to press your fabric pieces into place. The surface tension of this device is strong enough hold most different types of quilting fabrics. At the same time, relocating blocks from one part of a design to improve the appearance is simple.

Placing your arrangement of blocks onto the wall is an ideal way to capture images of your quilt. You can upload the pictures to your photo album or to your website. This can be a great marketing tool. It also ensures that you remember how you put creative quilt tops together.

The quilters tool is simple in concept, but invaluable in organizing your quilting work. It keeps it in the place where you arrange it. You don't have to remember where you left off. The design is right where you arranged it the last time you worked with the design.




About the Author: