Welcome to the Better Machine Quilt-a-long based on my book 25 Days to Better Machine Quilting.(Find all of the previous Lessons HERE. Sign up for emails of the class HERE.)
Today’s Topic: Paper, Electronic and Other Doodle Options
Good Morning, Quilters!
This week is dedicated to a very important topic–doodling! (I bet your grammar school teacher never said that to you?!)
Today, I will share some of my favorite ways to doodle and encourage you to share yours!
Whether you choose paper electronic and/or the other doodle options, I hope you will take from today’s post that any doodling is good doodling! It can be on scraps of paper, in a sketchbook, on a white erase board, digital. It really doesn’t matter how YOU doodle. It matters that you do doodle.
I change doodling methods frequently. It’s more fun that way!
A few of my favorite ways to doodle:
- Old School Pen/Paper
- Boogie Board
- Transparent Overlay
- Ipad/Apple Pencil and Procreate App
Pen and Paper-Always My Favorite Method
I LOVE an excuse to buy a new notebook and a batch of pens. And now I blame it on YOU–“It’s blog research!”
The key is to find a pen and paper combination that you like. For example, I love Flair on newspaper, but I don’t like the feel of a fountain pen on newsprint.
My favorite pencil has always been the Dixon Ticonderoga-best lead, dark color, never breaks. (Is it weird that I have such a strong opinion on this!?)
Favorite markers–Flair markers--never fail markers! Love all the colors!
Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pens-dark ink and slightly soft brush nib–elevates a basic doodle!
Fountain and Dip Pens-My husband received a MontBlanc fountain pen as a gift–he never saw it again! I also like the Speedball Map Set with Dr.Ph Martin Ink or Higgins Ink
Watercolor Pencils are also a fun way to doodle. Complete your doodle with a wash of water. It’s like magic! I have a 12 pencil set from Caran D’ache that I love!
Boogie Board
I really like the feel of doodling on my Boogie Board. It is a liquid crystal display and comes with a stylus for doodling. Push the button to clear the doodle. The Boogie Board is lightweight and comfortable to hold and has proven to be quite durable. I have been tossing mine in a suitcase for several years and it is still going strong. If you like a doodle, the best way to save it is to take a photo. There’s an app for saving doodles, but I found it cumbersome. The Boogie Board is transparent. You can lay it right on your quilt to test motifs.
Transparent Overlay
Yesterday, we discussed how to make and use a vinyl overlay. I use this method frequently to test design ideas.
Some quilters suggested using plexiglass as an overlay–another great idea!
Ipad/Apple Pencil and Procreate
You might like the post: Doodle the Movie! created on my I pad.
All of the doodle videos I’ve shared on YouTube (Quilt with Lori) have been created on my Ipad Pro with an Apple Pencil and the Procreate app. I love using it, though I doodled happily for more than twenty years without one. Electronic doodling is not necessary to good quilting.
I’ve tried other methods of electronic doodling, and found this to be the most natural. It is as easy as drawing on paper and has the advantage of being digital–with all the options digital provides.
If you are in the market for a tablet, make sure it is compatible with a pencil. Not all Ipads are compatible with the Apple Pencil.
The Procreate app is the best. It is easy to use and costs around $10. Like any software there is a learning curve. I am not very adept at learning software, but by watching YouTube videos I’ve learned a lot. I’m pretty sure Procreate is only available for Mac tablets.
White Erase Boards
Many readers have mentioned they love to practice designs on white erase boards. Great idea!
Erase boards are easy and light weight. No wasted paper.
If you like this style but don’t like cleaning the board, try the Boogie Board above.)
What’s YOUR Favorite Way to Doodle?
We’d LOVE to hear!
Your Diva Duchess of Doodle Dandy,
Toodles,
Lori
PS…This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase, at no additional cost to you, I might receive a little “pin-money”. Thank you for supporting LKQ in this way!
PS…All tutorials, images and information are the property of LoriKennedyQuilts and are intended for personal use only. Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to LKQ. For all other purposes, please contact me at Lori@LoriKennedyQuilts.com. Thanks!You might also enjoy my motif books: Free Motion Machine Quilting 1-2-3 and More Free Motion Machine Quilting 1-2-3
