I am going to make signature blocks for my friends daughters wedding. I usually starch my fabrics as I iron them prior to cutting. Can I starch siggy blocks or will the ink of the fabric pens wash out because of the starch. I would also like to know the best pen for this project. I'm sure someone here has experience and I appreciate listening to all suggestions.

The ink should penetrate the starch just fine. :D:D:D
I just bought a permanent fine point pen from Hancocks, I am going to try it on a scrap and then wash it. They said it is permanent, we shall see LOL

Don't use sharpies! I made one for my son and he woke up with ink on his face!! It came off easier from the fabric than him! He was a student teacher and I had the kids do pillowcases. I think you have to use a Pigma? pen.

I never heard of starching fabric before cutting. Tell me why, please?? I love any tips that save me time or problems :D

The starch adds body to the fabric and when you use the rulers to rotary cut the strips or pieces, you have more control and less stretch in the cut. (Some people prefer sizing to starch)

Starched pieces also retain more body during the piecing process and they seem to behave better under the feed dogs.

A downfall is that starch and sizing may attract silverfish and other bugs which would not be a problem in a tightly controlled container. Another is that starched pieces retain creases more and are harder to iron out (that is my experience at least).

I don't know anything about sharpies, but I have used permanent ink pens sold as laundry markers that seem pretty permanent. I always heat sent the writing with an iron too as I read somewhere it made it more permanent.

I've used permanent laundry type pens too. I can't remember if I heat set it or not. But it's been washed a few times now and, although it's still easy to read, the ink has faded a bit. Not badly, but it's certainly not as dark as when I gave the quilt to them. The fabric did not have starch on it and it was 100% cotton.

I bought some pigma pens @ Joann's today, $3.29 each for .5 mm. The package they carry (at least at the one here) have tips that are too fine - .25, I think they were. Have a few of them, don't like them.

When I'm doing blocks to be signed, I iron the fabric to freezer paper, then cut into blocks. Stabilizes it enough to write on nicely, then peels right off.

cool thread thanks

Great thread. I like pigma pens for signing. I don't think starch affects them. Post a pic of the quilt when you are done. Please.

I use to use Pigma, but I found the point on them to grab at the threads of the fabric which made it hard for me to write with. I recently found a make called ZIG in the scrapbooking section that has a ballpoint on them. They're acid-free and archival. They write beautifully. I highly recommend them.

Oh, I also used the FabricMate. The only problem I had with them is you have to be careful when you buy them because of the tips. Some are harder than others. The harder point ones write neater.