I want to tranfer a pattern to fabric and I'm wondering if I trace the pattern with pencil if it will transfer to the fabric with a hot iron and will it come off when I was the finished quilt?

You could try it on a scrap of fabric, and then wash it and see what happens :D:D:D

i have trouble getting it off even without ironing if it's a regular pencil. sometimes it never gets out.

I agree. I know it is tempting to use, but I would splurge the extra money for some sort of chalk pencil or other type of pencil made especially for quilting. Regular pencil may never come out (especially on light fabrics...learned the hard way) and after putting so much time and effort into making something wonderful...it is heartbreaking!

I would use a chalk pencil too.

I hate using pencil no matter how "easy" they say it erases. i had some marks on a wall quilt that i got out with oxy clean. soaked it in it and slightly rubbed with my finger while wet.

I got pencil out of my quilt using windex and a toothbrush, lol!

I use a pencil all the time but not too hard. Then if I make a mistake I just erase it with a clean eraser.

I used pencil to lightly mark a quilt top. Boy did I end up regretting it. I will never do it again. It was too hard to get off when I was done, even with a good eraser. I felt I was going to damage my fabrics!

I use pencil all the time. Haven't had any trouble so far. Just tossed it in the washing machine and all was fine.

I prefer a shalk pencil or a water soluable marker. I NEVER use pencil. It is too hard to get off.

Someone else posted in the past that they use a bar of soap. Imagine it's chiseled pretty well to get a point or a sharp side.

I use soap for some things. By the time we are though bathing with it, it has sharp edges.

I had a piece that I marked with pencil, and it didn't wash out.

I use either white soap or Dial (gold). The Dial will show up faintly on white fabric.
After we have used a bar of soap and it is getting pretty little, I use it at the sink and use it every time I wash my hands. Doesn't take long for it to have a nice edge. I have several little bars in my sewing cabinet drawer.

Invest in a mechanical chalk pencil. Less than $12 and worth every penny! I marked the entire border of a quilt without a single breakage! Another plus, I had very little remarking to do after much handling! They come in several colors. I have the white and green and have used them on many different colors.

Those white erasers that engineers use in their electric erasers are great! Pentel also has them for the "Click" eraser at most office supply areas.

I agree.

I would use something made for marking fabric---special markers or a chalk pencil. I almost ruined a quilt I was working on because I used a regular pencil.

Thanks for the hint. I hadn't thought of using soap to mark a quilt.

Me either. I'll have to try that. I have many quilt marking devices, but not thrilled with any of them. I'm going to try the soap.

I use a pencil to mark embroidery designs and if I make a mistake I have a material eraser I bought at quilt shop.

I have been reading Harriett Hargraves book "Heirloom Machine Quilting" and here are some of her marking tips. (1) Use spray starch and press your quilt top before marking. This way, you are actually marking on the starch, and the marks will come out with the starch when you wash the quilt. This is especially important if you prewash your fabrics. (2) Use a HARD mechanical pencil when marking. Do not use a #2 soft pencil, as the graphite in the soft lead bonds with the fabric fibers. (3) Take a sample of the fabric, use the same batting and backing, mark the fabric and quilt it. Then wash it the same way with the same detergent that you would use on the quilt. (4) Don't use a dressmaker's marker, as they have wax in them. Dressmakers alway mark on the wrong side of the fabric and don't need to worry about the marks laundering out. (5) White chalk is good, but be sure to pre-test when using yellow, because yellow markers have sulfur in them, which can stain your quilt top.

Hope this helps.

I use Fons and Poter pencils and they wash out everytime.

I have a friend who uses the Mr Clean eraser to remove

her pencil marks after she has quilted her top

I have a friend who uses the Mr Clean eraser to remove

her pencil marks after she has quilted her top

i use a very sharp #2 pencil to mark all my quilts. It always comes out when they are washed. I use All detergent, salt and a dye catcher in the wash. I can usually see what I have marked off pretty easily, if it is on dark fabric I will use a sliver of old soap to mark a simple X or a line.

Jane Sisk

Why salt?

I have used salt to set dye color in hand dyed fabric.

I don't know about adding it to a wash. I usually set the item to soak in a bucket of warm water and salt solution.

I use a mechanical pencil and lightly mark the lines. To remove them, I use an artist eraser (the kind that is soft and doesn't leave the little thingies behind). You can find these in what looks like a pen, but has a long soft eraser that you can replace when it is worn down. They have them at Wal-mart or office supply stores. They remove the pencil marks completely, and you don't have to press hard to remove them.

I use pencil lightly all the time and erase it with a plastic white eraser. These can be bought in an art store.

I like the water soluble pens best. For marking on darks, I use chalk especially sold for marking on fabrics.

Years ago at Malvern Quilt Show I asked a well known UK hand quilter - Sandi Lush - what she used because I could see coloured pencils beside her. They were watercolour ones - the type you use to colour in a drawing and then go over with a wet paintbrush to achieve a watercolour painting. Found some in my local stationers and they are very good. Lots of dark colours for the light fabrics and vice versa. I always wash my quilts when finished cos they're always grubby by the time they're finished and the lines just disappear even those where I've been heavy handed. They are soft and need sharpening often. I've been happily using these ever since and have never tried the air disappearing or the water soluble markers.

thanks for the hint. My daughter left some of these at home. I'll try them on my current project. :thumbup:

Oh, I still have my chalk blocks from the early '60's when I was in high school home-ec. Recently some friends were going through my 'handy box' that I keep my most and most recently used notions and the comments were a chuckle. Oh, Lord, how old are these old scissors?? and look at this tape measure, but when they saw the chalk pencils with the 'broom' on the end and the big chalk blocks that I's whittled edges to a shapeness, it was a hen session out of Disney Movies. But, I haven't used pencil, Maybe if you use it on the backside. I know the notions can be expensive. Once I decided to chunk all my junk and buy new things.....I went diving in the trash when I got back home. Money is the root of all my reasoning, I think.

I too have had a problem with pencil. I've been using tailor chalk now and it works wonderfully well. Comes in different colors and already has an edge.

I tried pencil and it didn't erase or wash out. Never again.

thanks so much for all the suggestions. i have a baby quilt drying on the side of the playpen now...i fear i may have just completely ruined it and hope that the windex works! or the mr clean eraser...or a super big prayer!!