pens
 

What are the best pens to use to write a label on your quilt?

I use a Sharpie fine point permanent marker.

Pigma pens are great for writing on fabric and that's what I always use. I used to use a really thin pen but feel like using a #8 pigma pen is much better. Its not easy to write on fabric but if you put a piece of sandpaper behind the fabric it will help hold it in place. I sometimes go back and write over what I wrote to make a darker imprint. After you write out your label, if you go back and add another line (really close) to all your downwards strokes, it will make your label look really good. Good luck, have fun with it and always experiment with your pens first before writing out the actual label.

Just like Donnamarie, I use a pigma pen. When I'm writing on a fabric label I will iron it to a piece of freezer paper, doing that helps to stabilize the fabric and makes it a lot easier to write on.

My friend Cindi did some thorough testing of pens for a signature wedding quilt and wrote a review about her results. She tested 10 pens, including Sharpies, PrismaColor, and Microns. The Sharpie and PrismaColor pens ran. The Microns faded quickly. Her winner was the Nano-Liner by Royal Langnickel, which is available at Hobby Lobby for $2.00.

Micron Pigma pens .05 size tip. I always heat set them too, just to be sure. I used to do swaps and used them a lot. Still have plenty of quilts from those swaps and the siggies are still there.

I use Sharpie FABRIC markers(they don't bleed). They wash up fine. Like mentioned above, i iron my label to a piece of freezer paper. I will use frixion pen to draw my straight lines. Then when i take my iron to it, the frixion pen disappears.

Sharpie pens will eventually get a yellow halo around the writing. I have a shirt that I've used for NASCAR autographs and the signatures all have yellow halos as Sharpie pens are not meant for fabrics. The Pigma pens (need to heat set with an iron) or an archival-safe pen is good.

I always use the Micron Pigma pens .05 also with really good results. They must be heat set though as mentioned or maybe they will wash out or fade but I haven't had that problem since I always heat set

Thanks for sharing this information. I am making an Album quilt for my DGD. She wants her friends to sign it. I will get the Nano Liner.

I always learn something useful here.