Fabric Markers
 

Asking for your "uh-oh stories" about markers.

I try to avoid anything that is "inky" or "liquidy". Not necessarily from personal experience - just does not seem to be a good idea to me to use them.

Mine was - I marked with a lead pencil - not lightly - but very very darkly. Not one of my better ideas.

From what I've been reading, "most" of the washable Crayola markers come out in the wash. But I do remember one person had a problem getting some out of one of her customer's quilt.

If/When testing, what procedure(s) would you recommend?

And as far as that goes, how many people actually test before proceeding?

I only use chalk with no oils on tops. I have used those blue pens and other things but only to mark a sewing line that won't be seen on the top. Learned my lesson years ago when a so called disappearing marker showed up after washing and ruined the top. Not a good thing.

Try a white/cream piece of fabric and use different markers. If it's a blue marker print those words etc.
Then wash, iron and do all the thing that the pkg says will cause it to disappear.
Then press with hot, steam, and even spray with water to see what happens.

I use air erasable only -- if it is black/navy I will use chalk. When I am at the coast, I only mark a small bit at a time as humidity speeds up the disappear time. I hand quilt so a small area marked is best anyways, It wouldn't work too well on a FMQ quilt

I know that a lot of folks like the Frixion pens for marking. I've heard the stories of the ink coming back in the cold, even after washing. What would concern me, is that if the company says not to use on fabric, in 20, 30, 50 years, will the ink have dissolved or damaged the fabrics? Think of the dyes used in early fabric that have just shredded away. Will this be the quilts marked with Frixion pens in the future? Convenient? yes. Safe to use? The jury is still out on this question. JMHO....

The only problem I have had is with a chaco chalk marker. It just wouldn't come out. I can't remember the color. I think gray. I use the crayola markers, but, I always do a test on the fabric first. No surprises. I use air erasable ones too and haven't had a problem. I have also used the blue ones that wash out and for me they wash out. I think it is important to wash them in the machine with detergent, not just wipe. At least that has been my experience.

Favorite: Clover Blue Water Erasable and Crayola Ultra Clean Washable Markers

Works ok for me: Pounce ... but I've only tried the white

Disaster: Clover ChacoLiner with Yellow chalk. It came in a pack with a refillable "pen" (sort of a pen. It had a flat tip with a roller) and it came with white, blue and pale red chalk pens. I had a lot of success with the white. But the yellow never came out of white fabric, and I was not brave enough to try the red or blue after that.
Here is the white one: https://www.amazon.com/Clover-Chaco-...3685438&sr=8-3

Never tried: Frixon

After a couple of disasters, I alway test first. Even my faves get tested on new fabrics.

I just finished a quilt that I used a sliver of used bar soap to mark lines. Worked fine and of course washed out.

I use Crayola washable school markers. I don't mark quilting lines, I mainly do FMQ .

I use washable markers to number blocks and rows. All colors have always wash out completely, using coldwater tide and coldwater.

that was me with the Ultra Clean Washable Crayola markers--green on a beige. Would. Not. Come. Out. I'd used them before without problems and think maybe my client had starched this one. Ended up having to actually wash it not once but twice to get rid of the green. Client was ok with me washing it, thankfully. Used blue Dawn and a toothbrush to get clean. Never again!

Test markers directly on a scrap of the fabric you intend to mark. Not all fabrics will cooperate. I am presently working on 2 baby quilts that I've used the washable markers to mark borders. As soon as both are finished, I will promptly put them through the laundry. I think the longer markings are left, the bigger possibility that they will feel at home and not go away. Too, they detract from the quilting!