blue marking pens

[ffq-lar]

After taking in many customer quilts where you do not know if the fabric has been pre-washed, I will venture that the blue markers are not particularly affected by that. All I have ever heard about problems is with reds. Test the red fabric before you mark. Here are my hints for blue markers:

--- Use the least amount you can manage--less on/less to remove later. (duh!)

--- Mark with dotted lines if you can easily see where to go.

--- If you mis-mark, wet a Q-tip and run along the line you need to erase. The fabric will dry quickly and you can re-mark and continue stitching. Don't spritz with water--that will disperse the blue into the batting to come back in view later.

--- Always inform your customer if you use a blue marker and advise them to soak as soon as possible. Have them sign a waiver on pick-up so they completely understand how to remove and what may happen if they don't. Even if you spritz and assume the blue is gone, let your customer know. All the success in the world won't heal your heart or make your customer happy if you have even one ruined quilt because of a mis-communication.

I have used the Crayola washable markers with good results.

I have shifted from the blue markers to the air-erase purple ones. Our humidity here allows the marks to stay for hours and sometimes days. And they are water-erase if you have a rush job. For dark fabrics, the Clover white markers are a wonder. Mark and wait--the lines appear as they dry. Lines are very fine, easy to see, and water or heat erase. I use my baby Clover fusing iron--it works well and I don't need to keep a big iron in the studio.

[yvonnerenae]

Hey ladies,

I don't use these pens very much and usually just figure mine are not working because of neglect, but has anyone tried storing them in the freezer? I store my superglue there and it will last forever, needs only a minute or two of holding the container to get it flowing again and you never have hard dried out wasted superglue.

[RitaR]

Oh I tried the water thing,, thinking it would extend them, like the kids markers use to do.. lolol....

When desperate, try shaking them like we use to shake a thermometer to get the mercury below the human temperature level to take someones temperature.. Sometimes if theres a bit of juice left in them, it will smush it down to the point. be sure to do it with the cap on and the point out..

For those who don't know how to do that.. I can NOT explain.. it's a sort of snap of the wrist.. type thing.

[meg_marsh]

I just did a dark quilt - noticed earlier that some use regular school chalk - tried it and it was great - what didn't bounce off while sewing just wiped off. I did have to mark as I went along - no big deal & I did have to sharpen the chalk quite a few times so it would mark well through the stencil. Other than that, have used the Marvy Markers.