KenmoreGal2

I think I'd like to begin making handwritten labels for my items. Can you recommend a marker that's really permanent? Thanks!

Stitchnripper

The Sanford RubaDub Laundry Marking Pen gets good reviews on Amazon. It says it doesn't bleed when writing on the fabric and stays forever. Most of the reviewers concur. i can say it didn't bleed for me and as far as washing out, so far so good.

NJ Quilter

Check out the Sharpies in the office supply store. I have a fine point one that I have used. It does have a tendency 'bleed' a bit - outside edges of written lines blur - but to the best of my knowledge, it does stay forever. I can check with a quilt recipient and see how the message has held up to five years of washings.

ETA - take some light (and dark) fabrics to the store with you and see which pens you like best on both.

IrishgalfromNJ

I was checking the Pigma pens (I recently used one to trace an embroidery design and I like it but it is rather light) and I found this blog with a comparison test of different pens she was testing for her quilt labels.

http://www.freckledwhimsy.com/2010/0...ns-to-use.html

KenmoreGal2

Thanks so far. Funny thing is I own an entire box of Bic fine point permanent markers (their version of Sharpie) but I assumed I needed something that said "fabric" on it. I'll play around with what I own and see if it's acceptable.

But keep the recommendations coming! I'm making a list to take with me to AC Moore to see which they carry.

ManiacQuilter2

I am old school and have always been happy with the Pigma pens.

KenmoreGal2

I have a follow up question fellow quilters. I found the box of Bic permanent markers and also a package of fine point Sharpies in my house. I've just used both pens on 3 different types of fabric which I'll run through my next wash cycle to see how they fare.

I found it very hard to write on my nicest, softest fabrics. I had one piece of fabric which was real stiff, like paper and I could write on that nicely. So....what type of fabric do you use for your labels? Do you use something like an embroidery hoop to hold the fabric taut while you write on it?

Tartan

Iron freezer paper to the back of your fabric and you can write on the fabric better. In antique quilts if they really wanted signatures to last, they used floss and embroidered them. Lots of these signature quilts are still good.

imsewnso

I once worked in a care facility and washed the residents clothes. We used a extra fine point (like a mechanical pencil) sharpie for marking clothes. These names did fade with washing and when that happened we just remarked them. Tartan is right on....embroidered names did not come out.

mckwilter

You can either use freezer paper, as Tartan suggested or lay your fabric on superfine sandpaper. You can make a "sand board" easily by gluing a piece of sandpaper to a piece of stiff cardboard or to a clipboard. I glued a piece of sandpaper to the top of one of those 13x13x2" plastic boxes you can get at any hobby store. I store all of my pens in the box, with a pouch for each group of pens, sorted by brand, color and size of tip.

I also use the sand board when I am using crayons on fabric.

Whichever pen you finally decide on, remember to press the writing with a HOT, DRY iron before laundering. This will set the ink. The first time you press a handwritten label, place a piece of thin fabric over the writing to see if any of the ink transfers. If it transfers to the fabric, it could transfer to your iron. If it doesn't, you can press without a pressing cloth.