A problem with Frixion pens?
 

I have been using the blue, black and red frixion pens to mark my quilts with great satisfaction. The marks always disappeared with an iron.

Then I bought a set with two lighter colors (+ one dark), pink and orange, and whoops! I changed my mind about quilting the pattern and when I ironed the marks I am left with a ghost image. Has anyone else had this happen and how did you get rid of the marks?

There were less than 24 hours between marking and trying to erase.

I have read that some of the frixion pens leave ghost marks on certain fabrics. These seem to be bleached marks that do not come out. :(

Another problem with frixion pens is the marks don't really go away. When you iron the marks they seem to disappear (most of the time) but when your fabric gets cold they come back. In other words the ink never goes away. I do use them but only for practice.

They aren't bleach marks, but will fade with time and washing....something I've learned from personal experience....I think it's what is left of the ink.....the pens are great on light colors/prints, but I choose washable markers for solids or dark fabric.

The ink will wash out with soap and water. I just toss my quilt in the washer when I'm done. I haven't had any color of the pens come back even with the sample I put in the freezer. The sample was laundered before freezing. I'm not concerned about my quilts lasting for future generations, they can make their own. LOL

Thank you all for the optimism -- I hate to give these pens up, as nothing I have tried otherwise will make such thin lines (and stay there long enough to quilt over).

I've used ceramic pencils to make lines on quilts - those pencils seem to work well. I like frixon pens but don't use them for everything.

Do the ceramic pencils rub off without laundering?


Has anyone used soapstone pencils for marking?
Pros and Cons, please?
And how do you get them to disappear?

Thank you!!

The chemicals in the Frixion pens do stay in the quilt - not sure how much washing it takes.

Now many of us are not quilting for show - but here is a quilt show horror story that I heard last night at Harriet Hargrave's trunk show. Quilter completes quilt, removes lines with heat. Quilter later enters quilt show in Minnesota. Ships quilt which travels in belly of plane - sub-freezing temperatures then is in postal warehouse which is also quite cold on the way to the eventual show delivery. All marked lines reappeared and were there while quilt hung in show.

I also don't know if the chemicals will eventually harm the fabric. I'm still figuring out which I like best but prefer things that I can brush of the surface like chalks or pastels.

Cheers, K

I love Frixion pens! Actually, I like the fact that cold brings them back. I am doing Redwork embroidery on quilt blocks. I read here that Redwork works better with a lining. I trace the design on the fabric with a black Frixion pen, then iron a sheer interfacing to the back. Of course my design disappears. I put the block in the freezer and my design is back. With the interfacing added before tracing the design, the design is much more difficult to trace. Since I am embroidering over the lines, they would not show even if they did come back. I also use the pens on my quilts and have never had a problem. I use only black and usually test it on a sample of the fabric before using.