marking your quilt
 

What type of marking pen do you use to mark your quilts? Do they iron or wash out especially on white fabric?

I use stencils with plain old chalk. I can't mark very large areas at a time, but it removes very easily. I use the color chalk on white or light fabrics

Sewline ceramic mechanical pencil with interchangeable leads. They wash out, or you can erase the marks. I like them because they don't have to be sharpened.

i use the frixion pen as much as possible - they iron out. I have also used the fons & porter ceramic white pencils for some dark areas. Regular graphite lead works well too - just have to remember to make it light enough, it usually will rub out by the time I'm done hand-quilting it.

All of the above but I really love the Frixion pens! Also use the blue markers and occasionally Crayola washable markers.

I use the blue washout marker...always comes out with a short soak in cool water.

We use crayola washable markers. Besure to quilt it right aways and wash it immediated two times on normal with laundry detergent. You can also use pencils (the special type for quilting) but I find it is harder to mark and the point keeps breaking.

Mainly the blue washout marker or the purple air disappearing one if I am doing a small project right away.

I buy the blue marking pens (sometimes purple) but it seems as though they run out of "ink" very quickly. So I've been experimenting with different devices to see what I like.

frixion pens all the way! I have used the purple pen on white fabric and it irons out right away every time.

I use the blue water soluable pens and stencils. After I complete a section, such as border etc. I use a brush and water to take the marks out as I go.

Love the firxion pens. Used the blue marking pen that was supposed to come out with water and never could get the blue out. Will never use those again.

Me, too. I've never had any problem with them.

Me too my favorite tool

Negative experiences with Frixion Pens ????
 

Has any one had any negative experiences with the Frixion Pens resently.....i had heard that the
ink returned in cold, and therefore have not been using them

I did my own test. If you iron them, then launder them, the marks don't return in the cold, but if you just iron them and don't wash them they return in the cold. I bought one to see for myself because I don't always believe everything people tell me. So my suggestion is to buy cheap muslin, buy a few pens and run your own tests. Thats what I did. Made small blocks drew, ironed, placed in freezer, marks came back, re-ironed the marks, placed in washing machine with laundry, placed back in freezer, marks did nor reappear. II suggest doing this test with a small portion of the fabric you intend to use it on before using the pens on the entire project

Thank you for sharing your experience, that is exactly what I needed to hear...
As I now always post wash my completed quilts, good to know the marks will not return

I swear, I have tried everything. He's my experience, for what it's worth.

When it works, pounce chalk is my current favourite. But I find it doesn't work well on heavily pieced items (like a watercolour quilt with 1" squares). And doesn't show on light fabrics. The blue pounce requires water to remove, so I haven't tried that.

I used quilter's pencils, and had a heck of a time getting the marks out (took 2 washings). I know I was pressing too hard, but I was not overly impressed - neither with how quickly I went through one pencial, trying to keep a sharp point. I some mechanical pencils (white and dark) which I haven't tried yet, so that's next.

Chalk comes off soooo easily - but it is currently my second choice marker, after pounce (or if I'm not using a stencil). I had a set of coloured chalk pencils in hand one day (I swear I've bought pretty much every type of marking tool my quilting store carries). But the store owner told me not to use it. Esp. the yellow, because it doesn't come out. So I put that one back and didn't tempt fate.

The blue water soluble works really well. And I have found that I can remove the marks simply by lightly blotting the quilt with a damp cloth (heavier blotting required if my marks are dark).

I have used the frixon pens. So far no issues, but since it requires a wash to fully remove, I'm reluctant to use. I've also read of some issues with them discolouring very dark fabrics.

I bought a white/invisible marker for darks. I hate it. The lines don't show - they supposedly get darker as it dries, but I still couldn't see the marks on my blacks.

I have disappearing ink pen - I think it is great, but disappears SO fast. I used it for handquilting, marked just a few inches at a time (I was echo quilting). And I use it for quick marking like mark & sew a diagonal across 2 squares for HST. But could never mark a quilt with it for machine quilting, because the marks would fade.

All my troubles lead me to believe that true free-motion - unmarked - is the way to go for quilting. But I'm not that brave (yet) :)

The other negative comment that I've heard about the frixion is that when used on darker fabrics, the iron is used to erase the ink, there is a "white" line left....NOW, i've not thrown it into the wash to see if that whitish line disappears w/ washing ~ I will have to do that next time. I always test the fabric to see what happens.

I rarely mark anything, as the markers don't last very long and are expensive. Rotary cutting eliminates the need to mark. However, I have found the ceramic pencils to be the best when they are needed.

I f you use the pounce chalk and you don't want it to rub off before you get it quilted, give it a light spritz with hair spray.

When I used the frixion pen on black knit pants, and then ironed over it, I was left with a white line. I was devastated since the pants weren't mine. A friend told me that it would come out if I just wash them. I did, and the white line was gone.

I love the frixion pens, but will probably do a test, if it is a different type of fabric, before I mark from now on.

Can you still buy the real graphite pencils I used to use them all the time and then could not find them. If anyone has a source, can you please post here. Thanks and I have never used the Frixion pen before will have to look for it.
Pat

I use the blue sewing marker, washes out ok.

homecaregiver, I found this link when I googled graphite pencils
http://www.dickblick.com/products/de...encils/#photos

"Sewline ceramic mechanical pencil with interchangeable leads. They wash out, or you can erase the marks. I like them because they don't have to be sharpened."

Where do you get these pens?

I am not for sure, but try an art supply house, or a drafting supply house. I use a drafting pencil and the grafite does not have a fixer in it so it is easy to erase.

I use plain old #3 pencil. Washes right out.

I also love the frision pens. I have found that Staples has a great supply of them.

You might want to search prior posts about the Fixon pen and the problems it can cause

I use a white pencil with dark fabric and a good old mechanical pencil with light fabric, it all come out in the wash

Thanks for posting this question. I often wonder what others use. I've been trying them all. I have to buy a Frixion now.

I use these as well...

Ditto. I love them.

black graphit pens ----- try "Sketch and Wash" made by General Pencil Co. Can get them in some quilt shops or art supply store and probably Michaels and even JoAnn in their are pencil section

I use frixion pen but my all time favorite is spray chalk. It goes on easily and stays on while you are quilting, unlike pounch chalk.
Also comes off with a damp cloth. On the negitive side- it is a little messy, but so worth it, I use it all the time.

I like the disappearing marker that is a combo with the blue, the purple comes out in 20 minutes to 24 hours and the blue disappears with a touch of water.

Chalk or the pounce which uses chalk; you can spray it lightly with hairspray to make it last longer. I've used a sliver of soap and that worked good as well. If you use the blue pen make sure you don't get heat on it because it'll set in in and then you have to soak it to keep it from coming back. If you just run water over it it'll disapear but will come back later. I always soak mine for a while to prevent it form coming back.

Right now I'm using the Sewline ceramic pencil and so far I love it. I'm using the green "lead" and it erases pretty well, mostly came out with blotting with a damp cloth, so I believe it will come out with a launder. Nice fine line. They have white, green, pink and "graphite" colors, so you should be able to make about any color fabric. The pencil is a bit pricey (I think I pad $16 for mine in Shipshewana), but I think if you shop around you could do a little better. The "lead" refills are sold wherever the pencils are sold.