Originally Posted by
Onebyone
Batik fabric wasn't ever meant to be used in quilting. It was made for dress wraps and scarves.
I find it hilarious so many refuse to use the Frixon pens on their fabric because of the chemical left in the quilt and yet they buy expensive batiks that have strong chemicals in every fiber.
The
technique of batik dying was originally used for sarongs, scarves dresses etc. When batiks took hold in the quilting world they started dying the greige goods used for quilting with the same technique (wax resist) as they did for the original batiks. So Batik fabric made for quilting is meant to be used in quilting.
I don't use frixion pens because the ink doesn't always come out all the way and the mark can come back and show. My choice to not using them has nothing to do with the chemical. I know way too many show quilters who have had issues with either the frixion ink re-appearing or causing a "ghost" line to appear where they had marked, even after washing. The manufacturer of the pens has publicly stated the pens were never intended to mark fabric with. So that may be an indication it could also damage cotton fibers over time but no one knows.
Harsh chemical dyes are used in most commercial fabric not just batiks, a big reason the textile industry has moved overseas as dying methods that are economical are not environmentally friendly and strict US EPA standards could not be maintained by the industry in the US without pricing them right out of business. Heck even some of the dyes hand dyers use are pretty harsh.
Even most natural dyes (vegetable and/or mineral based dyes) either fade or disintegrate fabric.