mighty

I use them all the time and love them. Just be sure to test them first.

azwendyg

I did my own testing on these pens recently, after watching a YouTube video by a well-known quilter. She said that she uses heavy steam to "push the gel (ink) into the batting", therefore removing the marks from the fabric permanently. She is the second well-know quilter who said that she removed the Frixion pen marks with steam, so I thought I'd give them another try.

Here's what I did:

I marked a quilting design on a sample piece of cream colored fabric using different colored pens in sections so that I could test the red, black and blue pens all at once. Then I sandwiched and quilted the piece.
The marks ironed away easily and completely using a dry iron, but came back with a short stay in the freezer. Next I STEAM ironed the piece like crazy, using multiple passes with my "blast of steam" iron. I did my best effort to steam the marks away. They did disappear quite readily, but another short stay in the freezer brought them back as clear as when I first marked them. I ironed the marks away again, and then decided to see if a soaking with stain remover would take them away permanently. I sprayed with stain remover and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Then I laid the piece out flat in the bottom of the kitchen sink, started the water filling, and went to get the laundry detergent. Well, when I came back 30 seconds later, all the marks were back again. I had simply run cold tap water over the piece; not anywhere near "freezing temperatures", and the stain remover and subsequent scrubbing with additional laundry detergent had no noticeable affect on removing the marks.

That was enough for me to decide that I will choose NOT to use these pens to mark the surface of my quilts. Based on my own testing, the marks came back when washed in cold water... and I'm certain they would come back if used on a quilt that was left in the car overnight or even during the day in the winter, or in the travel trailer w/o heat, etc.

I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how others are having such success with these... Can anyone provide any insight as to why they are not working for me?

ro

dont need to put them in the freezer. what about leaving your pc of fabric/quilt in the car overnight during the winter. or how about in the car in the summer with the windows closed.

toverly

azwendyg, I think you have hit the nail on the head about the pens. They really don't go away. Some have found that they aren't as noticable or are covered with applique but the pen is still there. To some that is bothersome. We were on vacation in and around Flagstaff this summer. What a great place to live. We loved it there, though the altitude got to us, being from the Gulf Coast, going from 10 ft to whatever it is there was quite an adjustment for hiking.

BellaBoo

I use them for all my fabric marking. I haven't had any marks come back but I always starch my fabric before marking and then I wash the finished quilt or project. I guess the gel mixes with the starch and doesn't stay in the fabric. Sharon Schamber uses them for her prize winning quilts and she wouldn't tolerate markings showing and neither would the judges. I'm not that picky about the use of them on any fabric but it's up to everyone to make their own decision.

mckwilter

I also use them for marking on the wrong side of pieces. Also, I only use the blue. If I'm marking on a dark fabric, I use the Clover white marker.

Rodney

After reading this it seems more people are reporting poor results than good for them.

What are some good alternatives?

I'm working on a quilt with curved pieces that I need to mark if I want accurate cuts. I bought a Dritz blue water soluble marking pencil and quite frankly I'm having issues with it. I have to press so hard to leave a mark that the fabric moves under the template I'm tracing around. What would be better? I'm clueless.
Thanks,
Rodney

lockesnest

I use them all the time. When there is a residual white mark it always has washed out when the quilt is laundered.

RST

I think it's the nature of the web that people who have a negative experience will post more readily than those who are pleased with a product. I use them, but cautiously. I did have the experience of using a hot pink pen on dark gray kona cotton for quilting motifs. I had done several trials and found that the ink disappeared well on my trial pieces, so I marked up my whole quilt. Unfortunately, life got in the way and my quilt sat for about 10 months before I finished the quilting. While the marks did come out with washing and pressing, I did have the dread "light shadow" in several places. It was disappointing, but not really that noticable on the final project. But that experience has made me wary about when and where I will use the pens.

I really do like the fine line and the staying power. Chalk is just so "fuzzy" -- hate it. Those clover pens are also a major pain. I sometimes will use a very fine pencil on light fabrics and that washes out pretty well. Dark fabrics are tricky, and I don't have a great suggestion. Sometimes you can go with ironing a motif cut from freezer paper onto the surface instead of marking with a pen.

stillclock

i am wary of anything chemical: sprays, pens, glue....

i think the pens are ideal for marking where it won't matter that the ink/gel stays in the fabric.

i wouldn't use them for quilt marking. for that i use good ole' hb pencils and white chalk dressmaker pencils.

they always wash out and they're cheap.

aileen