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Quote:

Originally Posted by saf

sorry sawsan----dry soup???

Yes dry but soap this time

:wink:

i have been using good ole' pencils for years. i always test a small spot and make sure it is going to wash out but i've never had one not wash out and i have had really unpleasant results from some of the items made (and priced) specifically for quilters. i will use a pencil over expensive markers that may work once or twice then don't work any more. my pencil shows up on most fabrics, light and dark. if it is not showing enough on a dark i use a silver or white pencil.
and i test a spot on every quilt...every one is different and even though it washed out last time no problem does not mean it will next time...just like (just because it worked for you does not mean it's going to work for me)always test no matter what you choose to use. herra markers are ok for small areas you will quilt right away but the marks disappear so you can not mark a whole large quilt and have the marks still visible -- it only makes a (crease) line, not a marked line

I have used a hera, but mostly for straight line marking. It makes a nice crease in the fabric that is easy to follow. Don't know how it would do going around corners and such.

Quote:

Originally Posted by safe

teacher yesterday was very critical of the disappearing pencils - maybe for the reason that you give but she also said that some do disappear and then come back later to haunt you. I do have a silver pencil so I think I'll try that for now as I'm keen to get on with this quilt (my first) now that I've got everything together and investigate the hera later

Well - this would be true IF you didn't wash it or if you iron the markings before they're washed out. If you're not going to wash you're quilt once it's completed, then don't use the washable ink pens. I've used them for years, and haven't ever had one come back or not wash out. Just use cold water, no soap, for the first rinse to get the marker out - and you're good to go. That's all there is.

There's a lot of people in the world who have FIRM ideas on marking tools. Remember, this is their thoughts, and not necessarily the whole picture or truth. Just test whatever tool you use, and you'll know how it works with that fabric, then you'll feel confident you won't run into problems.

I use many methods, depending upon the project. And if I have any doubts, I test them first.

Quote:

Originally Posted by saf

Has anyone ever used a hera marker to mark their quilting patterns. A non-quilting friend has just told me that I shouldn't use a pencil as I was going to do. She has been told that the best thing to use is a hera marker but I'm afraid that I've never heard of one. What do the rest of you use?

I usually use a HB #2 lead for marking and haven't had any issues YET. I have a Hera Marker, it is a hard plastic piece that creates a line on your fabric(almost like a crease), and they are great. I use it when marking darker fabrics because I haven't found anything else that works. However you can only do straight lines with it, but. there is no residue issues.