I guess I should have read about it first - Frixion Pens
 

Hi All. A co-worker asked me if I would make two plain pillows for her mother (she gave me the material). I used a turquoise Fixion pen on the top to help with quilting. It was great except I had no idea that after ironing the lines out that they could re-appear if the item gets cold. Several women on quilt videos on YouTube raved about them so I gave it a try. Well the pillows were in the car for a while in the cold and the lines came back.

I was so excited about the pen but now am avoiding them. I guess it was too good to be true. This was my first time using the pen. I had plans to use the pen on several more items including a baby quilt.

Is there a trick to them working?

Thanks and blessings for the New Year!

They are not designed to be used on fabric. I do use them, but only on things that will be hidden in a seam allowance. Some have had luck with washing the project after finishing, but that could just be the dryer heat making the lines disappear again. I haven't tested that theory yet.

I don't have any but from what I've read, I'm avoiding like the plague. I use chalk and pencil and keep an eraser and unused makeup brush nearby to dust and erase the marks.

The pen ink will wash out of fabric. If you can't wash the item then toss it dryer for a few minutes. I use the pens all the time for my quilt marking. I wash the quilt afterwards. No marks have re appeared after washing for me, I stuck a few items in the freezer to check. I have had one quilt that I marked with the pen when it first came out. It's been years and so far nothing terrible has happened to the fabric.

I love frixion pens. I have not tested them by taking them out in the cold or putting them in the freezer, but I do hope they wash out. I love that they iron out so easily, so I hope OnebyOne is right. I've never noticed that the marks come back. I hope it stays that way.

I avoid using anything that is liquid based for marking like the plague - just on general principles.

I do not trust ANYTHING that seems ink-like - whether it is "supposed" to disappear or not.

I use pencil type products - and test, test, test - to make sure it the marks are removable before marking an important project.

I do have reasons for my phobia!

I read an article some years ago where fabric from a quilt shop was washed the first time in a home washer. The wash water was analysed and the chemicals in it was a harsh chemical soup, some considered toxic. If you don't wash your fabrics or the finished item, those chemicals are in the fabric. A little non toxic ink isn't going to make any difference at all.

Once you warmed up the pillow cases did the ink go away again? Remember they will not be used outside in the cold but in a warm home.

Just remember the ink is still there when you press your item. It is like invisible ink. Unless you wash it it will always be in the fabric.
peace

The is a response from Pilot, the makers of the Frixion Pens. They were not made to use on fabric. I copied and pasted it.

So in summary, straight from the manufacturer’s mouth so to speak, a summary of using the Frixion pens on fabric:
1. Frixion pens combine gel ink and thermo ink. You are marking your quilt with a gel pen that disappears.
2. The marks will reappear if the quilt gets cold (anything below freezing I think-I did not confirm the specific temperature) unless the mark is completely removed with an ink remover. Even after a thorough steam of the marks, they will reappear in the cold. This is part of the inherent chemistry of the ink combination.
3. To completely remove the ink so that it will not ghost or reappear in the cold, you will need an ink remover and also may possibly need to scrub the area. The manufacturer has tested Amodex and Mötsenböcker’s Lift-Off 3 and found them to be fairly effective in removing the ink.
4. Frixion pens sometimes leave a ghost mark after steaming. This is the thermo ink showing on the quilt, not the gel. The Pilot rep said to rid the piece of ghost marks you would need to treat it with the ink removers listed above.
So this is a definitive summary of the Frixion pens straight from the pen’s manufacturer.