When a designer has a problem with something "sticking out" in a room, they incorporate it rather than try to hide it. Why don't you do that with the pen? Get a dark thread and quilt over it so it becomes part of the design! It will look much better. People will think it was an intentional part of the quilt and you will remember...forever...not to use pen! (Then you can laugh rather than feel badly about it. Life has too many other things to be unhappy about. This isn't a problem. Enjoy it, treasure it and make it a proud part of your design. Been there. Done that!)

Oh, how interesting to know you repair/restore quilts!! My oldest fabric is 126 yrs. old and most stash starts from the 60's on up through present! We were lucky to have a seamstress supply us with tons of scrap bags through the years as she sewed for others. DM graduated with her and we finally got around to sorting it one day and threw tons out (non-quilting stuff) and kept all the good cottons. So there's many choices in the quilts I make but I love that vintage stuff!!! So happy to have it! Yes, I survived without having to call HAZMAT in although I came close to dousing it with lighter fluid and then said NO WAY can I do that!! haha. Following on the steps of having just doused it with rubbing alcohol, I am sure glad I didn't get those two together! Or we would've been calling someone!! :D :oops: :roll: :roll:

Textiles tell so much about our history and fashion which was and still is important to all cultures around the world. I noticed the fabrics as soon as I saw the block. I restored an 1830's postage stamp mosaic quilt last year, 5,800 pieces. It was quite a job. Have fun with your vintage stash. I know you will create some fun blocks with them. What are you going to do with the piece that is 126 years old? You can pm me, so we don't tie this up.

The real old fabric was a gift to my family from a very distant relative and looks as good today as it did back then!! What fabulous work from that era! I decided to put a piece of it in every quilt I've done so far. There's only a few quilts that it's not in so I'm down to only about 6 inches left, if that much.

:wink: I put that to good use, didn't I? It was a way to give tribute to the gifter. We can tie it up if we want, it's my thread! ha. PM me if you ever need a certain scrap or color to match your repair. Repair work is one of my highlights in life, repairing everything but quilts. Keep in touch!! ;) ;) Fantastic job and patience on that mosaic!!! WTG!! ;)

Mayo_No -now you'll have oil and water and that doesn't mix. Yrs ago, I bought wedding gowns for a large dept store and the reason cheap hairspray sometimes worked is the alcohol in it- but nowadays some also have gums and fillers so make the hair hold or stand up against humidity (which is water) so that keeps it from working. We always used straight alcohol. Let the quilt dry then try rubbing alcohol- This may not work this time, depending on what else you have put on the quilt. Remember vinegar and lemon are acids and mild forms of bleach! So beware.

As a seasoned wedding and alterations manager,first line of defense for ink is rubbing alcohol.

I was trying to be funny about the mayo, lemonade and Murphy's Oil soap but some took me seriously. That makes good sense why the hair spray failed me. Did you notice my pics I posted this afternoon of the test results with rubbing alcohol! It did an excellent job and beat the WD-40 by far. I sure don't want anyone to try the WD-40 as it only worked partially until I added the rubbing alcohol and then it all disappeared. Of course, in the end I did a tiny bit that was left with Acetone. Yes, the last thing I would ever do is put acid from vinegar or lemons on my fabrics for fear destruction. First line of defense would be rubbing alcohol as the results were excellent today! check out my pics on pg. 15 (I think it is). Thank you so much, kalady! I bet you enjoyed your job in alterations!! The pros always have the answers from experience!
:D :D

Thank you so much, Phyl, for that tip! Others had suggested it too! I just preferred not hiding it under a canopy of thread no matter how creative I could have gotten with it. I preferred having it all removed; it was such a tiny area. I in no way feel bad about it. I really fell in love with this one and am so happy the ink is all gone! My love for color, art and minis comes through this quilt loud and clear. Can't wait to do another one! Next time I'll plan ahead better. It was a great learning lesson for me and it has helped many already!!

:D :D I hope it brings joy to you!!

I am happy it all came out. I am glad your other solutions were LOL - you would not believe the stains some people bring me after trying all kinds of things and sometimes making the mess worse. What a heartbreak it would have been after all that work! Hugs, Laura-kalady

I am thrilled; my mini is thrilled!!! I cannot imagine the horrible looking things they brought you to repair as some people have no clue and no common sense so they shouldn't have attempted such an undertaking! We live and learn though. Having a florist business from my home for many years, I could not believe all the disastrous looking arrangements people wanted me to 'redo' for them. It would've been better starting over! Which is what I did; tore it all off and rebuilt! Thank you so much, kalady, for your good advice! It all worked out :roll: :roll: ;-)

Some of our best lessons come from a mistake! Thanks for sharing your good lesson with us!

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