marking pens
 

Hello everyone.............could I have opinions on the best, affordable, marking pens that disappear or have an end that you can erase. I'm terrified to mark my quilt for fear that the marks won't come out. I live in Canada so I don't have access to all brands. Has anyone used tape to mark long straight lines. It will be on the diagonal so I don't know where to start and if it will pull the top out of shape. I won't to do the double argyle using my walking foot. I don't have an arm to use with this foot.

Yes, tape will work. YOu want to get the blue painter's tape. If you are exceedingly concerned, you can stick the tape down on a piece of scrap fabric, pull it off, then apply it to your quilt. It will get a bit linty and less sticky. Let the tape stay on the quilt the shortest amount of time. Hours not days. You can remove & reposition the tape a couple times before it becomes unuseable.

I have used the blue painters tape, but I find the wider tape sticks better. the narrow tape kept coming off the quilt.. not sure why. My favorite way to mark my quilts now is the Crayola washable markers. Other members on the board have used other brands with success. I buy the fine point markers and love them. They always wash out... but I do pretreat with Dawn dish soap before I wash.

Just do not use regular masking tape, it leaves a messy sticky residue behind!
The purple water erase pens work well, so does chalk, ceramic pencil, the blue air erase pens...there are lots of options that work. For years I stuck with a regular mechanical pencil. I never had a problem removing marks. I have the past few years started using others too. The keys to success are:
1. Prewash your fabric ( some products just don't work well on fabrics that still have the sizing, chemicals in them.)
2. Read the instructions on the package! Some markers will come right out unless you touch them with an iron & heat- set that ink- then its permanent. Some markers disappear with an iron, but don't get it wet.- read the instructions, know what you are using.... Everything has its own method that works.

And lastly, but Most Important...
3. Always,Always, Always test your choice to make sure it comes out before you mark a whole quilt!

I use tape for straight lines and it works great. I like the idea of sharpening chalk sticks to a point and using them. Thanks! I learned something today!

I love the Frixion pens. They come in four colors and the markings disappear when you press with a warm/n]hot iron. The marks will come back if you put your quilt in the refrigerator but disappear again when you press them. If you were to leave a quilt in your car in the winter in Ontario, you might need to press again. But in Texas, mostly we could just leave the quilt outside in the sun and get rid of the marks. I hope you find something you like. froggyintexas

Regarding the frixion pens, does the ink wash out when the quilt is washed? I just bought some but have not used them yet.

I love clover for air and water soluable

yes, I (& others) have had success w/ the ink washing out when the quilt is washed.

I do love frixion pens! I use them exclusively now.

We have had several discussions about the frixion pens and whether they really wash out - sometimes they reappear in cold weather. Not a problem for us southerners but could be for someone living in a cold climate. Maybe do a search up above and get some more info on that and see if it would be an issue for you. I started using crayola washable markers. Always pretest and no problems yet

I used a mechanical pencil and it did NOT wash all the way out. Where there was a lot of stitching it didn't come out. I usually use the Crayola washable markers. I have ironed over them and it still came out. Sometimes you have to wash twice with different markers.

Thanks Becca!

I use blue water-erase pens the most. You have to be careful to wash them out before you iron though, or they can be set.

If I need markings that can be ironed, I use old-fashioned tailor's chalk. The kind that's squares of chalk that go into a holder. I have tailor's chalk in red, white, and blue.

Warning! Dritz blue washable markers will not come out from many batiks...especially pink or red( even if fabric prwashed,no heat). Ask me how I know��

Blue painter's tape works okay, but I've found that it interferes with the ability of the feet on the walking foot to adequately grip the top layer.

If you're as terrified to mark your quilt as I am, try water soluble stabilizer. It's now my go-to product. You can mark it with a black ultra fine point permanent marker, pin it to your quilt top and start quilting

Really!? The Dritz "Mark B Gone" pens??

I must not have ever used them on batiks before because I've never had them not come right out....I'm going to have to test that out when I get home!

(I usually use white chalk on batiks, 'cos they're so dark. But this is good to know!)

I took a hand quilting class not too long ago, and the woman who taught the class uses a No. 2 pencil and has used a No. 2 pencil since she learned how to quilt. She uses it for light fabric. For dark fabric, she uses tailor's chalk. I have used the No. 2 pencil, and it works beautifully. Washes out without a problem. You can see it without a problem. Easy to use. Nothing that I can find wrong with using it. I have used tape for marking long straight lines. The only down side to it was I used a lot of it, and it isn't cheap, but it does work very, very well.

Frixion all the way! I do like the felt ones better. You don't have to push so hard. And yes it has always washed out. I have about ten of them in my tools.

I used the water soluble transfer methods and when I took the plastic sheet off the thread had picked up the black and I had little black dots all over the quilt. Some came out when I washed it but it was still there when I gave it away. Luckily it was for my mom and she understands about that sort of thing. If you spritz your quilt oh so very lightly, the water soluble film will stick to your quilt and no chance of it shifting. Maybe it's because I used the regular Sharpie not the ultra fine.

I have used regular crayola colored pencils. ( i don't use red) , I've also purchased and tried the new ultra washable markers by crayola. All have washed out beautifully. I don't spend money on those expensive pens and pencils since I have so many colored pencils and markers from the grandkids.

Frixion marking pens were reviewed on this web site:

http://quiltingclimber.blogspot.com/...evaluated.html

WOW..........so many different views. I'm not sure if I'm now more confused. More questions.........
...........when you use chalk does it just brush off?
...........does tape keep the lines straight?
...........how long can Crayola marks stay on the quilt before washing?
...........has anyone used a product called Clover?

I have used the Crayola washable markers and chalk both work good (the chalk on dark fabric is great!)

I have the Clover mechanical pencil like thing with colored & white chalk. That worked well and washed out. The Crayola markers I left on a quilt for a year before I quilted and washed it and it all came out. I also used the markers to mark around the templates on a hand pieced table runner that I started when my FIL was in the hospital. Took me about 8 yrs to get back to it. All that was on the back of the pieces, the inside of the quilt but I think it all washed out. I can't see anything. I have even ironed on the markers and it has washed out. The yellow is harder to get out for some reason. I have to wash that twice to get it all out sometimes.

Pick the solution you want to try, make a small sandwich, then give it a try. Quilt it, wash it, iron it, abuse it BEFORE you try the big quilt.

Have fun deciding I have used them all and will continue to since some work better for me on certain projects. I have fallen in love with the washable Crayola Markers. So just start trying what you can find local and see what you like the best.

I use a Clover pen that says "White marking pen, fine" on dark fabric and love it. It irons out completely. It's only weird issue is that it takes a couple of moments for the line to appear when you draw with it, but it does appear and is a nice fine line and quite easy to see. I do also like the frixion pens for light and other colored fabric. They are great when you can just iron them off.

I ordered a set from Nancy's Notions - the set of 8 was $12.00. I love them, they are 8 different colors and they come off when you press the block. Awesome!

I have used blue painter's tape. I start diagonally in the middle of the quilt and work out to one corner. Be sure to keep referring to your first reference line to make sure you are keeping all your marked lines the same width. I then will stitch those lines working my way from the center of the quilt. Then remove the tape and start on the other half of the quilt. You will need to repeat this process three more times.

Hello ManicQuilter2........if I start at the center and work my way to the corner...don't I just flip it around and do the other half? Why 3 more times.

I think I have a bigger problem..........was I suppose to do the marking before I basted the backing on? I did the thread basting and its only about 2-3 finger widths apart. I was going to SITD at first but decided I want to be a bit more daring. I realize now that nowhere did I read or see anything telling me what order I should do it in. All the videos that showed markings on the quilt sandwiches so I didn't no if it was done before or after it was put together.

Hi quiltingbuddy...........how can you iron the quilt if your using poly batten?

Hi Tartan..............I think chalk may be the way to go. I have never seen a box of chalk like that but I will go searching. Where do you get the sharpener?

I use the Crayola markers too! Love them! I don't pretreat and have never had any problems washing out!

Staples in Windsor should have them, and you can probably get a sharpener in the makeup department at Shoppers.