Fabric markers recommendations
03-03-2021, 12:26 PM
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: Gainesville, Missouri
Posts: 520
I use several different things, but it also depends on what I'm doing at the time. The Sewline Mechanical Pencils are wonderful for marking when piecing but so far, I won't use my pink one on Muslin to mark a quilt pattern. I checked on how easy it would remove before I started my niece's quilt, the marks stayed, even after I used soap and water.
My go-to for marking quilting patterns though are heat erasable pens, they come in black, blue, green, red and white. I've had extremely good luck with all of them working and no returning of the marks hours or days later. Even the white is a strong, strong white, though you do have to wait a minute or two for the mark to eventually appear. A hot iron with a little bit of steam erases the mark completely.
My go-to for marking quilting patterns though are heat erasable pens, they come in black, blue, green, red and white. I've had extremely good luck with all of them working and no returning of the marks hours or days later. Even the white is a strong, strong white, though you do have to wait a minute or two for the mark to eventually appear. A hot iron with a little bit of steam erases the mark completely.
03-03-2021, 02:48 PM
#15
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 269
Crayola Ultra Clean Washable Markers are the greatest ever. I always use these for marking and have never had a problem with any color. I've left them on a quilt for more than a year, ironed on them, and they always wash out. I do wash every quilt in the machine on warm (with color catchers because I'm not a prewasher) with detergent and these markers wash out every time. Whenever the kids have to do the 100 Days of School shirts, we always mark on their white t-shirts with these markers in every color and they wash out perfectly every time. Every color. Every time.
Link so you can you see exactly which kind: https://www.amazon.com/Crayola-Washable-Markers-Classic-Colors
Link so you can you see exactly which kind: https://www.amazon.com/Crayola-Washable-Markers-Classic-Colors
03-03-2021, 04:08 PM
#16
Power Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Outside St. Louis
Posts: 38,196
I never mark for quilting as I mainly do FMQ. I do mark blocks with numbers, etc. I wash all quilts when finished and all colors wash entirely. I have always used the crayola washable school markers.
I wash in cold water and cold water tide.
I wash in cold water and cold water tide.
03-03-2021, 09:11 PM
#19
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Utah
Posts: 2,072
My favorite marking tool on dark fabrics is a white General's charcoal (not chalk) pencil. It sharpens better and draws darker than a chalk pencil. Comes off pretty well, too.
I do like to use the pink Frixion pen on light fabric. It's not as invasive as black ink. I usually just use it to put dots on the fabric, but it will shadow if I draw a long line.
I do like to use the pink Frixion pen on light fabric. It's not as invasive as black ink. I usually just use it to put dots on the fabric, but it will shadow if I draw a long line.
03-04-2021, 05:05 PM
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: USA
Posts: 752
Originally Posted by ILoveToQuilt
Many people swear by the Frixion pens. However, the company states clearly on the package that they are NOT to be used on fabric, so I question what future damage these pens will cause to the fabric. (I think about this when I see antique signature quilts that have holes where the signatures used to be - the ink has corroded the fabric. Will this type of damage be the same when using the Frixion pens? They haven't been around long enough to tell.)
Soapstone pencils work well. Chalk on dark fabrics works, too. I use pencils especially made for quilting (white, yellow and gray). I bought them at my local Walmart for under $5 for the three.
Hope this helps.
Soapstone pencils work well. Chalk on dark fabrics works, too. I use pencils especially made for quilting (white, yellow and gray). I bought them at my local Walmart for under $5 for the three.
Hope this helps.
