Hello, has anyone made a crayon quilt on muslin squares? I want to do this with my pre k class and I am not sure how permanent it will be if it has to be washed. Would permanent markers be better and how would you set the color to last. If it is good enough we will auction it at our spring bazaar to help the school.
Thanks in advance

I have made 2 quilts with writing on them and have used fabric pens. They are very expensive ($2.50 per pen). Something in the back of my mind says permanent marker may bleed???? not sure. Don't know about crayons. I'm not much help.

There are special crayons made for fabric. It has been years ago but my Brownie troop made little t shirts for a baby. They colored on paper and then ironed their designs on. It worked fairly well and was supposed to be permanent. You might ask someone in a craft store like Michaels.....Good luck

(such a nice project...... :lol: )

I have Girl Scout sweatshirts made with crayons that are over 10 years old. They've been washed repeatedly and still look pretty good. The colors are lighter than they were originally, but still in good shape.

The girls also did wall hangings on flour sack towels. They been washed much less, obviously, and still look new.

the crayons are great--just make sureyou have all the loose things off the page before ironing and it does fad but it is great

http://apassionforapplique.blogspot....-tutorial.html

Here is a link to a tutorial using regular crayons on a quilt

Pat, Yes I have had kids color on muslin squares. I did it for a local kids club. and it auctioned off for $350. I ironed muslin on to freezer paper. and pressed the colorings with a paper towel over them with a hot iron. Elaine

thank you so much

I have used crayons too! I made a quilt for my sister and My kids each make a square using the iron on crayons. I would suggest soaking hte squares in white vinegar before quiltin (or washing) The tanic acid will help set the color.

I am sending a pic - the four corner squares are the crayoned squares on tthis quilt. I strongly reccomnend you brusj of anny "crumbs" as they gave the design a mottled look - but my kids thought it was "cool"

its beautiful. thanks

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.

for the past 10 years every year a little preschool class makes 2 crayon quilts. I iron freezer paper to the back of white muslin 'blocks' and take them in to the kids, they set about coloring their blocks how ever they want (sometimes the teachers incorporate a theme) when all blocks have been completed I gather them and cure them for at least a day or 2 then heat set them...if a child was a little too light and i can without making any differences i touch up a little and heat set 2 or 3 times...then i cut strips (3" wide) of all my brights, primaries, what ever is going to go with the pictures and a take a little singer with me, each child gets to pick out the strips they like and set down at the machine and frame their block, then i take them home again, sew them together, and finish the quilts taking them back for what ever they do with them

You can use the fabric crayons or regular crayons. The fabric ones are actually colored on paper and iron-transferred to the fabric. The Crayola crayons, you actually color on the fabric. For both, you iron off the excess into paper towels.

There are also fabric markers that have a brush-like end and a felt-tip side. I bought some from Clotilde's (spelling?).

My preference is to use the Pigma-pens as outline markers and fill in the colors with any of the above mentioned.

No matter what, you have to heat set. ...and I read on my Sharpie Set "not for use on fabric" so if you use Sharpies, be aware, they may not last.

The Pentel dye sticks will work beautiflly for shading. One of the staff on the old quilt that I mentioned was a REAL artist and did a beautiful square with all kinds of shading and smudging. If you're used to oil pastels and what you can do with them, these are perfect for you. Good Luck!

Regular markers say not for fabric for many reasons.. among them.. they do bleed, they may fade and eventually they will cause the fabric to deteriorate. Then you'll have lace not fabric. Also the reason not to use them on quilt labels.

The crayon's can always be recolored if faded, but markers can not.

I have used crayons on fabric and it will stay if you press it after. I use paper under the fabric and be sure there is nothing but a smooth surface underneath otherwise it will show on the finished product. Good Luck.

Yes these are great. I also like regular old Crayolas and for the price you can't beat them.

I have made a quilt with plain crayola and then embroidery around someplaces. It worked real well and washed well but I used domestic for dying that does not have a finish on it. Also, then used an old dishtowel and ironed it well. It is about six years old. I don't wash it often but sometimes and cannot see any change.

My quilt class used Crayola brand crayons to color on muslin. We brought in all kinds of textured stuff, like lace, rug backing, screening, anything with texture which we put under the muslin before coloring. You can get some really cool looks doing this, and anything is fair game. We were doing Sunbonnet Sue's and I loved how the straw hat looked textured, etc., instead of just flat coloring. Oh, we heat set it using old dishtowels between the crayon and the iron. No problems with multiple washings. They told us to just avoid the cheap crayons, as there is too much wax in them. Happy coloring. We had a blast doing this.

if you like to paint, you can get fabric medium along with those little 2 oz bottles of acrylic paints and paint it. i did some of that on those flour sack towels for my grandmother several...several years ago. she used them all the time, when she passed away, they were frayed out at some of the edges, but the painting was still there, faded some, but not a lot

Before you color on fabric, be sure to pre wash, as the sizing in the fabric may act as a resist, and prevent the color from being permanent. Also, the result may not be as good as with 100% cotton fabric. I teach a color crayon class,and these are a few of my tips. Also , when washing finished project use mild detergent and cool water.
I also do a lot of machine stitching for embellishment, and it's beautiful. It adds texture, and design to your work. Enjoy.

I did such a quilt with our Sunday School and used pentel dye sticks. They worked really well, and are inexpensive. Here's a pic:

My mom and her sister started a stamped design state flower quilt back in the 1930's that you colored the flowers with regular crayon, ironed the square between two pieces of waxed paper, then hand embroidered the details (outline stitch, french knots, etc.) In the mid 1960's I helped finish this quilt top ...they had only done about 1/2 - 2/3 of the squares, plus I added green sashing...as a home ec project, then a friend of my mom's quilted it. My hubby and I used it until the fabric started wearing thin at the edges...probably at least 15 - 20 years. And the crayon part did fine...actually held up better than the rest of the muslin since it coated it and helped preserve the fibers. I still had it folded over a quilt rack when our house burned several years ago.

i took a class on coloring and was told to use Crayola crayons and once colored take a paper towel and place over the colored area and use an iron this melts away the excess color. I have colored some sunbonne sue blocks.

Yuo can also color over it again if you have already heat set it. It will make the color darker and richer. Just heat set again.

thanks I didn't know that

Hey Pat,
Not sure if this will help. The children colored squares of flags from various countries and another group did sea creatures. They did turn out light but were heat set with the iron and will keep if not bleached or use of harsh detergent. They can be colored over to intensify the color.
Here are pics of 2 I quilted for the school. Both quilts were raffled.

Great topic about using Crayons. I have used reg. Crayons on an applique Basket to shade it but have not laundered it yet. I did heat set it with paper towels under the pc AND over the top as well. Have any of you used: ColoringBookFun.com

They have patterns for almost anything you might want to print off to color. Or use for an applique pattern. It is a lifesaver also for keeping little grands content. LOL