I have been wondering about coloring a hand screened design on 70% polyester/20 coitton/10 flax linen type fabric. It is actually a crewel stitchery kit, but I don't want to do all the hand embroidery to fill in the design.
I was wondering if I could color in the design, then use my sewing machine to get detail in the picture.

Why not? I LOVE to mix techniques - many people don't though

great link...I want to try this

I've done several of these through the years and MUCH prefer an inexpensive product called Pentel Dye Sticks to either crayons (even fabric crayons) or permanent markers. They are similar to oil pastels and are used directly on the fabric, then it it ironed to set the colors. The colors are vivid and I recently saw a quilt that I helped a preschool make in around 1988-1989 and while the quilt itself has been "very well loved", the colors are beautiful still. Best place to get these is Dick Blick; they have stores and a website as well. I prefer the box of 16-18 to the box of 8-10.

I made pillows at Christmas-iron the fabric onto freezer paper-the grandchildren drew pictures then I set them with the iron and let them help quilt around their designs-turned out well-used regular crayola crayons-I found the inst on line by searching for crayon quilt-good luck! :P

I made one for my GD 20 years ago and she's still using it. Be sure to use fabric crayons and heat set according to the directions. Hers' is quite faded now but she will not part with it.

Thanks for the heads up on the pentel art sticks. I am going to go and get some of these. I have three embroidery projects I have the patterns for that are shaded with crayons, and I want them to stay nice. After all the are just a little over four bucks for the big box.

I used crayolas fabric markers for a girls group quilt and it looks GREAT! far better than expected :)

Just any crayons do not hold in cotton fabric... and the fabric crayons say at least 35% poly to hold the color.
There are some crayons that do hold good on reg cotton fabric and I cant find them right now. They have a higher color pigmant. You do heat set all. The fabric crayons you draw on paper and iron on so if doing words draw the picture and trace on a window and color the back side. The it will be the right direction. Good luck... oh otherwise iron the muslin to freezer paper to draw and color. Also draw with a permanant pen then color inside the lines like a color book...

when I was in Girl Scouts, we did a cloth for a card table and used vinegar to set the crayon.