Help! My FIRST hand pieced quilt tip is stained from the markings
 

Hi,

Please help. I just finished marking my quilt with a sew line pencil with green lead (on a white background.) when I tried to erase the markings, they wouldn't come off. Then I used cold water, and now I have gray stains in places, and left over green lines in other spots. This is my first time trying to quilt a top. What have I done wrong and how do I if it?

I use the green pencil all the time but I don't try to remove the marks until I sandwich and bind my quilt, then I just throw it in the washer and the marks come out. Are you trying to get them out before you finish the quilt? I know that that eraser never worked for me.

Did you heat them at all? That could make them permanent. I've used this pencil as well (the pink) and did have to wash the finished quilt several times to remove all remmnants of the markings. I only used cold water the first time, then washed a couple of times with detergent & oxy-clean. I think it was a total of 3 washings before all the marks came clean. Be sure all marks are gone before drying in the dryer. For me the blue pens that are removed by water seem to work the best, but sometimes even those have to be washed more than once.