question on marking quilt
 

Hi, I am trying to learn free motion quilting and I am looking for some type of pen
or marker where I can draw designs on fabric to stitch over. I would like to know what
would be a good buy, something that will disappear or iron out after I'm done stitching.
Thanks for any help. I tried a Dritz pen but it doesn't work good on fabric.

The blue washable markers are good. Also there is a white, for use on dark fabric, but it has to dry before you see the line. I like to use chalk. I found that my brain has to think of the design in order to make it work so I usually don't mark and practice on trial sandwiches of fabric and batting until I have learned the fmq motifs such as feathers, swirls etc. This just seems to stay in my brain better.

I draw on press and seal wrap. Then lay it on the my quilt sandwich. I then stitch over it. It peels off easily and does not mark up the quilt. I find that I can follow the lines easier. I have used the purple or blue marking pens/pencils that wash or iron out. They work also. I have a problem with chalk. It doesn't stick well enough for me.

If you decide to try the press and seal make sure your pen markings are completely dry before stitching over them (ask me how I know).... and also keep the design quite open, if you try for small flower centres etc. it does make it difficult to get the teensy pieces of plastic removed.

I took a class from Jamie Wallen and he said that the blue washable markers and white chalk are the only things he uses. He went so far as to say they should stop inventing other markers, because they aren't needed as long as you have those two things.

My favourite marking tool on medium to dark fabrics is WHITE school chalk. Never use coloured chalk as it is impossible to remove! I use a dry toothbrush to erase the lines and occasionally a damp cloth for stubborn spots. I use a makeup big pencil sharpener to get a nice point.[ATTACH=CONFIG]558236[/ATTACH]

Sue Nickels and her sister, Pat Holly, use silver quilt marking pencils. They showed us how the marks just wore off, could be mostly brushed off or erased with a white eraser. They both have done show winning quilts and have about 7 in the National Quilt Museum so it must work. Sue says she marks out her whole top before basting.

I use the blue water eraseable markers and just spritz them with a plant mister when I'm done. The lines just disappear.

Watson

I use both the blue water eraseable and also the purple air eraseable for light to med. light fabrics. The air eraseable can be erased with a spritz of water if it's taking too long to vanish. Do Not iron over either of them.

For medium darks and darks I usually use a sliver of soap Like ivory. It stays on well for the actual quilting but wears off easily enough that I've never had to do anything to remove it when I'm done. I have one of those vanishing white pens, but I don't like using it because it takes a while for the marks to show and sometimes they don't show up which means re- marking an area.

I also tend to mark as I go since I mainly mark when I'm doing ruler work. If I'm doing regular Fmq I don't do much marking at all.

rob

I have this and use a stiff make up brush to clean as I go.

just test chalk on the fabrics. i washed and washed and some marks still show on some burgundy border fabric. sigh.

I never know what it means when people write they are "trying to learn" FMQ. If you are truly a newbie -- meaning you have less than 8 hours of practice time at FMQ -- I would go with the Blue water soluble marker. The purple marker will start to disappear before you get very far, causing lots of frustration. Chalk or Crayola Ultra Clean crayons will rub off, causing missing parts of the line, which will make it more difficult to follow.

If you don't ever wash your quilts and have already done some practice pieces, then I would recommend either white chalk (the cheaper the better) or Crayola Ultra Clean crayons (I use the white the most often because it will come out with a damp cloth, but doesn't rub off as readily as chalk does). Be sure to buy a sharpener for either one.

The other 2 options depending on your eyesight are a Hera marker (you just score lines in the fabric -- it's similar to a bone folder; there is nothing that transfers onto the fabric) or Golden Threads papers that you punch the pattern into using an unthreaded needle & then pin to your fabric & use like a dot-to-dot that tears away once you've finished the quilting.

If you do wash your quilts, I must say that I've had the best luck with Crayola Ultra Clean markers -- but they do need to be washed to get the marks out.

The one thing I really do not recommend at all is the Frixion pens. I've known too many people -- both on QB & in real life who have had marks reappear in transit to quilting competitions, if the weather got bitterly cold, if they didn't try to iron away the marks for more than a year, or sometimes for reasons unknown. I personally had an experience with them when I received a marked quilt kit. I didn't realize it was marked with Frixion pen, rather than pencil, as was traditionally done. So I ironed it & the design almost entirely disappeared. But I remembered that cold could bring the marks back. 5 minutes in the freezer & the marks were as bold as ever. Fortunately, it's just a practice piece, but I know I can never take that quilt outside for football season or keep it in storage or my car where it can get very cold. I can't submit it to competition as it wouldn't survive the cold temperatures of the atmosphere high up where planes fly. There are just so many limitations; it just really doesn't seem very practical to me.

There are documented instances where the blue pen also resurfaced. It works by "disappearing" into the batting -- which, of course, means that in certain circumstances it can (& has!) reappear either on the back or the top of the quilt. It doesn't happen very often. It's a far safer choice than Frixion pens. Many competition quilters use blue pens & very, very rarely have them reappear in transit. Since you don't want to wash the quilt, that would be what I'd recommend.

I just finished quilting a black and blue quilt- it had one busy print with a white background. I used a white chalk pencil
(as in colored pencils) for the dark areas, and a frixion pen on the print. There were some tight details to mark and the pencil stayed on nice and clear but was gone by the time I finished the quilt. I live in Florida, so I wasn't worried about the lines reappearing with the frixion pen. I'm a new quilter. too, so I was very happy with the results. I'll post a pic when it stops raining and can get a good picture lol!

I use Crayola Fine Tip Washable Markers and I buy them at Walmart.

If the fabrics are dark enough, I use slivers of soap.

IF (IF) it is not a show quilt but a quilt that can be washed - Crayola Ultra Washable Thin Line Markers - test different colors on different fabric - love them!! BUT only on quilts that can be washed.

I have used parchment paper - the kind you use in baking - to draw a design on and then stitch over that. It is thin enough to see through and remove but strong enough to take some moving around (doesn't tear like tissue paper) and less expensive than the golden threads paper.

If I'm going to wash the finished product which I always do with a quilt, then I use washable markers or the ones used for quilting in blue or purple depending on the situation. Just spritzing the blue marker will make it seem like it disappears however it doesn't remove all of the ink down into the batting and it can reappear so washing is the best for that type of marker. You have to work fast with the purple air erasable ones as you only have about 15 minutes before they begin to disappear.

I'm not fond of frixion pens as I've had them leave shadows.

And the Frixion pens are not made for fabric! Regular laundry detergent will not remove the ink from the fabric fibers. I use the blue pens on light fabrics and the Clover white pens on darks. I always wash my quilts when they are done. First you need to soak and then agitate the quilt in cold water, not hot! I spin the water out twice and then add the detergent and wash on gentle cycle. Just spritzing only makes the marks vanish, it doesn't actually remove them. If they should turn up as a faint brown mark later, wash in vinegar to totally remove.

There is a pen on the market that has disappearing ink, only draw back is you can't mark too much at once as it really does disappear.

I've used the Clover Hera marker from Amazon. It doesn't actually leave a mark, it makes a sharp crease. It might not be obvious enough for what you're doing, but they do have a skinny one for tighter corners. There is nothing to wash out, and it just makes a crease which you'll make when sewing anyway. The crease relaxes after a couple of days and goes away. To make it a darker crease, I put a towel under it & pressed harder.

This is after I tried blue tailor's chalk that wouldn't come out completely. Got most of it with a dry Magic Eraser, but it's still there, even after a wash. Never again.

While I haven't used them for FMQ, I have used printed tissue papers for quilting cables, etc. in borders. I have seen some papers where they could be used for FMQ. Not sure if this helps or not.

Tartan, I love this idea. I like simple ideas that work. I will try this very soon! Thanks for sharing the idea.

My favorite is the purple disappearing marker, I mark as I go - and mainly use it for register marking or spine of feathers, rather than the whole design.

Thank you so much to all those who replied to my question. Such wonderful suggestions and tips and I am ready to try some and see what I think my work for me. It is wonderful to be able to ask and share and receive help from all over the world. Thank you.

I use frixion pens. I know alot of people don't like them, but I do and I have not had any problems w/ them.

On dark fabric I use the last bit of a soap bar. It becomes very thin. I use this on dark fabric. On light fabric I use a General pencil - you can buy them online.

I think people have different experiences and it just serves as a reminder to always test whatever pen/marking medium you use.

I use Frixion pen and i LOVE IT!!!! I am not in an area that my quilts are in freezing, below 30 degree temps, so that is not a concern for me.

I had one quilt that I took 2 1/2 yrs to quilt and I did not have an issue when I took the iron to the quilt to have the markings disappear.

I always wash my quilts when I am finished w/ them and I have had areas that I can tell the markings have washed out. I have an old bottle of Dreft and that is what i wash my quilts in.

Quilters have always used tools not made for sewing when making quilts. Back in the day, pencils were used to mark quilts and pencils weren't designed to mark fabrics either, but we use what we have.

As you try different things, you will find what works for you. The one consistent statement that seems to come across is that blue and yellow tends to be bad and not come out.