If you use Inktense pencils...
 

What type of fabric medium should I look for to use with Inktense pencils? I bought some aloe vera gel as suggested by some of the research I saw online, but some recommend fabric medium as better. What type of fabric medium? Does anyone have a brand name I can look for? I don't want to pick the wrong type of product.

I wasn't to sure what fabric medium was so I did a google search and
discovered there are MANY brands such as Americana, Martha Stewart,
and several others.

Here is the link for my search

I used the aloe vera gel when I painted with the pencils. They really blend nicely.

I have used both aloe vera & Delta Textile Medium. Delta says not to wash the fabric for 7 days so I set it aside and have yet to wash it since inking it & painting on the textile medium so I can't comment on which one washes better, but I've heard that medium holds the ink in better so that's why I'm trying it.

I will say that it is MUCH stickier than aloe. It also dries stiffer before washing. It does seem to bring out the color more than the aloe so far. I'll keep you posted as my experiment continues. I bought the Delta textile medium at Hobby Lobby.

Thanks very much for your responses. I just don't want to purchase the wrong product.

If I'm doing a wall hanging that I don't intend to wash, maybe I need to think about whether to use the medium, if it leaves the fabric stiff.

You could visit the Dharma Trading company website and check out different mediums, they have good information sheets that might help you decide what to try.

If you're not going to wash it, I'm not sure you need a medium at all. You can just use a wet paintbrush to move the ink around on the fabric. I've used a basic brush set & a couple blending sticks with my pencils & blocks and they work great. I just draw directly on my fabric & when I've got my first layer on there, I wet the fabric. I can then wet blend, or wait until it dries & then layer on another color and repeat as many times as necessary. I actually like doing that better as I have had more success getting the final colors/shading that I wanted vs starting with the medium at the get-go. You can also combine steps by simply wetting your Inktense pencil and then drawing (a bit like painting because the ink will bleed a bit) directly on the fabric.

If you plan to hang it near a sunny window, the sun may fade the ink, and if it gets very humid in your house, I would worry the ink might either run/bleed into the batting but otherwise you might be fine as long as you aren't trying to create an heirloom. But you could always just rinse your inked PFD before you quilt it. That's what I plan to do. I don't necessarily plan to wash my finished quilts. I don't know whether it's safe to iron the fabric with the medium on it and, of course, since PFD doesn't have any sizing in it, it tends to wrinkle quite easily.

There are many options for textile medium type moisteners, but some of the more common ones are Liquitex Fabric Medium and Golden Fluid Matte medium. It will stiffen the fabric slightly, but can be used in a 50-50 dilution with water (distilled water if you want to be ultra safe long term).

Be aware that Golden GAC 900 Fabric Medium requires adequate ventilation because it releases low levels of formaldehyde when heat set. For that reason alone, I avoid it even though it has a very soft hand. Their Fluid Matte Medium mentioned above, is not technically a textile medium, but does reportedly work well with Inktense. I have not tried it myself.

Aloe Vera gel (the clear gel only, don't use the green gel and don't use lotion) stiffens fabric and should be used sparingly. I didn't like the results with it so I went to Liquitex Fabric Medium. The medium controls bleeding and gives a nice smooth surface with both Intense Pencils/Blocks and acrylic paints. I get mine at Dick Blick, but you could look locally.
http://www.dickblick.com/products/li...fabric-medium/

Textile mediums as wetting agents are both ironable to heat set and washable, to answer those questions. I don't like using just plain water because it spreads the ink too much, dilutes it, and doesn't protect it from fading over time.

This is an excellent article comparing the different wetting agents and the results obtained from using them. It should answer a lot of your questions.
http://lindasteelequilts.blogspot.co...e-pencils.html

paint fusion medium or Ink fusion medium if you want a little sparkle

Great information! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience.