A few weeks ago there was a thread about using the Pilot Friexon gel erasable pens to mark your quilt lines. I found the pens at Target, package of 3, black, blue and red.

First of all, I love the way they write on paper.

Next I tested them on fabric, I used (washed in Tide laundry detergent without fabric softner) dry, white, bleached muslin.

I drew a line across the fabric in each color. With a permanent black Sharpie, I blocked off 3 sections.

Section #1: erased with the attached eraser on each pen.
This sorta smudged the color, stretched the fabric, but didn't completely remove the line.

Section #2: Ironed the lines without steam. All three lines completely removed.

Section #3: Washed the lines with Suave shampoo (that's what I had at the bathroom sink, was too lazy to run to laundry room for laundry detergent). The lines faded considerably but didn't completely remove.

I then placed the entire piece in the washer, laundered it like I would a finished quilt then air dried it.

Section #1: The erased lines almost completely removed, all the smugging completely removed.

Section #2: Ironed lines stayed gone.

Section #3: No change in the lines.

Then I put the piece in the freezer for about 5 hours.
All the lines Returned, section #3, the lines washed were a little fainter, but still there.

Conclusion: I don't think I'd mark my quilt with these pens. Like I said in the beginning, I really like the way these pens write, esp. the nice fine line. I hope I haven't broken any restrictions by stating brand names, but these are the products I use.

Then I thought maybe using a white eyeliner pencil for marking, works well, but the point is too soft and kept breaking, marks well without smudging and washed out well.

I'm by no means a scientist!!

Thank you for posting this.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who does at home product tests!!!

bummer, I have a set coming in the mail this week.

so glad you tried it out and reported back! good to know!

I have used these pens successfully a few times now. Yes, when cold the marks came back in an unwashed piece, but I hit it with the iron, and it disappeared again. Maybe I'm using a different version of the pens? The ones I have do not have an eraser attached. I have been very happy with the results I have achieved.

Thanks for the experiment results. Saves the rest of us the time and money to do. I truly wish I could find s marker that really worked well. So far the only ones that kinda worked were the Fons&Porter chalk pens but they do break easily.

thanks for posting your experiment. helpful info

A quilting scientist!

OOOHHH NOOOOOOO! I just made a quillow for a very snooty and uppidy friend of a friend.....and marked all over with the frixon pen...