Tricia Rutledge Posted March 2, 2004 Report Share Posted March 2, 2004 I'm pretty new to the business and so far I haven't really used anything other than my pounce pads. Does anyone have any tips on other tools such as soapstone, uv pens, water or air soluable etc.? I've heard that some don't always wash out as advertised. HELP! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LynnQuilts Posted March 3, 2004 Report Share Posted March 3, 2004 I use the washable blue marker and have used it for many many years; I've never had any problems with it not washing out. However, if you are doing quilts for someone else, you may not want to use them because you may not want to be responsible for wetting their quilt. Another way is to use Glad Press & Seal, which is a saran-wrap-like product you can get in the grocery store with the foil, etc. Trace your design onto the P&S with an ULTRA FINE Sharpie, stick it onto the quilt and quilt through it, removing the plastic when you're done. I have never had any problems with the black marks transferring to my material, but you'd want to test it first to make sure. There is another product called Golden Threads quilting paper, which you trace your design onto, then pin onto your quilt and sew through that. Be careful what you mark with; I have had pencil marks transfer onto the white material I was quilting on, but no problems on other colors. Just try whatever you do before doing it on a good quilt. Of course, you can also just put your laser on the front of your machine and follow the pattern that way (I'm not yet good enough to do this well). This is the IDEAL way, since you will have no worries with marks at all! Lynn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sams Mom Posted November 21, 2004 Report Share Posted November 21, 2004 I would love to see some discussion on quilt marking. My quilting is moving to the point where I need to get away from "afraid to mark the quilt". So far, I have used Golden Threads paper but I don't like the paper residue that stays in the stitching. I just finished a baby quilt which I marked and I washed it. It has that washed look about it. I assume that I probably should have washed the batting before but I don't know. I have to finish a signature quilt for my niece and I want to mark it but I don't want it to hang on her wall for the next 50 years with that been washed look. Also, from you award winners, I would like to hear your process. For instance do you mark the quilt before it goes on the machine or as you go, etc. Thanks, Donna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyL Posted November 22, 2004 Report Share Posted November 22, 2004 Donna: I mark the heck out of everything! I mark before I load the quilt and then I can stand off and look at it to make sure I like where everything is placed. I can't remember what I put where and how I spaced it if I try marking after it's on the machine and rolled up. I like the washed look so I never wash my batting prior to quilting. If it's a dark quilt or dark enough for the chalk pencils to show up, I use the white or gray chalk pencils. I use tons of blue markers and have never had a trouble although I recommend rinsing (dunking and soaking) the quilt in the washer or a tub instead of merely spritzing to remove the markers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhintsa Posted November 22, 2004 Report Share Posted November 22, 2004 Donna, I am not an award winner quilter by any stretch of the imagination but have been using the blue marker pens for years with machine embroidery on 100% cottons. The blue marks do not always remove with cold water. Many times the marks will reappear in brownish color when the fabric has dried. To remove completely mix 1 quart very cold water with 1 tsp baking soda. Soak or ligthly agitate by hand. Then a final cold water rinse or pounce with clean wet cloth. This almost always works. I like to prewash fabrics and wool/cotton battings to avoid the old crinkled look. I almost always prewash the fabrics as once in awhile there are still some fabrics that will bleed significantly. To bring the fabric back to life, you could then use spray sizing or spray starch before cutting the fabric for piecing. It gives it a "crisp" look and feel. I do this frequently with machine embroidery blocks. I usually wash the blocks by hand in cold water especially if using rayon thread which will bleed. I do the above if it is a gift or an item for sale, as I never know how the recipient will wash/launder the item. So if I can take care of some of the problems ahead of time, I don't worry they will have a mishap with their first washing. I also use Miracle Chalk (white) for marking stencils. A thin application stays in place well and brushes off with a damp cloth or misting. I've used Golden Threads paper and haven't had any residue so I don't know what that is about. Are you adhering the paper with a spray adhesive? Most spray adhesive is not water soluable so will stay on the fabric until it evaporates over time-some will stay for up to 3 months!! To speed this up, you can use a hair dryer or regular dryer even on just the air cycle. Hope this is some useful information for you. Nancy Millenninum Northern MN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaSusieQuilts Posted November 22, 2004 Report Share Posted November 22, 2004 Gosh Judy I am glad some one else has problems remembering what is where when quilting. I have unrolled a couple to see what I did on the top... ( .. I have decided I better take a digital pic and then I can just come to the computer and look I have been sharpening and using reg chalk.. comes out pretty good... Susie is up at Dave and Deloas.. getting a new shuttle assembly... I hope she comes home today. I am having seperation anxiety with my right hand missing... Linda Susie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary S Posted November 22, 2004 Report Share Posted November 22, 2004 I usually quilt without marking at all if I can do what I want that way, but you're right -- if you want to do some particular things with your quilting, you just have to mark. For real heirloom feathers and cables, I have used both blue pens (with customer permission) and also powdered chalk in a pounce with stencils. If you want to closely follow a line, for me it just about has to be the blue pens -- the chalk tends to bounce or rub off so it gives me a general line but not a tight fine line to follow. I mark the blue before loading but the chalk after loading as I go. For things that combine marking and freehand -- such as marking a vein but putting in feathers freehand -- I use a chacoliner (refillable lipstick-sized plastic gizmo that rolls a thin line of chalk just where you want it) and those work great -- they make a really nice fine visible line. If I want a stencil pattern without blue pen, I use powdered chalk in a pounce -- spritz the top with water first so it doesn't all bounce off. I have tried the paper a number of times and I just can't make it work in any way I like -- it tears, it ends up over the hopping foot so I can't see where I'm stitching, and it leaves gobs of itsy-bitsy pieces of paper after you tear it off (even if you don't see them -- try taking out 6" of stitching and you'll find lots of it). What I haven't tried on a regular quilt but would work similarly to paper but not tear and not leave stuff behind is Dissolve (and maybe Sulky or other brands) dissolvable sheets. I used Dissolve to quilt the pieces for a quilted jacket from a Laura Lee Fritz pattern, on my longarm, as the pattern suggested -- marked the pattern in black Sharpie on the Dissolve sheets, pinned it over the quilt sandwich, and I could stitch it all without any tearing so I could see the lines AND all of the stitches. It's like plastic enough that it has more give than paper and doesn't rip. The other benefit -- you tear off most of it (just as with paper) but then spritz it with water and what little bits there still are caught in the stitches dissolve away completely. Each kind of quilting design you might want to mark might call for a different method -- so the more methods you try and have available to use, the better. And the great advice I got from Dawn Cavanaugh on getting that chalk off once I use it to mark is to get one of those cheap dollar store lint brushes -- black handle with red fuzzy parts. That gets the chalk off beautifully. If I have used a lot, I also vacuum the quilt top with a small hand-held vac before I unload it. Mary Smart Vermillion SD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giftedhands Posted November 23, 2004 Report Share Posted November 23, 2004 Being relatively new, I thought I'd pass on this observation. Even when doing pantos (I like freehand best), I find that I don't always "stay on the lines" This caused some distress until I looked at the quilt and realized that no-one sees the lines I hit or missed, and it looks fine. I like freehanding my feathers, and am just now saying "gee, I could "meander" around the spaces, and add....." PPP. I have plenty of my own tops to practice on, and Christmas is just a few weeks away. Now if someone else could spare the time to bind.... (I'm just kidding, I bind in front of the tv set!). Cynthia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maudie Posted November 23, 2004 Report Share Posted November 23, 2004 Lots of good info on marking! Thanks! My two cents - I have heard that you really need to rinse the quilt after blue marker to TOTALLY get out all of the marker. Heat or heat from the sun will set it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary S Posted November 23, 2004 Report Share Posted November 23, 2004 I have also heard that the blue pen marks really need complete rinsing (not just spritzing) to be completely removed, an a friend of mine was once horrified to see a quilt of hers, which she had washed to get those out, hanging in a show with the blue marks reappearing as brown shadow. When I did a customer's elaborate heirloom quilt with blue pen, I asked her permission to rinse her quilt in the wash cycle of my washing machine, just so I KNEW it was well rinsed with water only, no soap, and cold water so it wouldn't get set or reappear later. She was glad to have me do it. I let it air dry. I don't know if I end up doing a lot of this for customers if I will want to do that rinsing myself, but it worked out fine that time. If using blue pens, though, I would get the customer's permission AND explain that they need to get the marks out thoroughly with a complete rinse themselves if they don't have you do it for them. Mary Smart Vermillion SD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragonflyquilts Posted November 24, 2004 Report Share Posted November 24, 2004 Hi Donna, Thanks for bringing this up. One of those questions I have pondered about myself. I use the crayola washable markers if I need straight lines. I also use disappearing marking pens as well on my lighter fabrics. The crayola washable markers mark really well and wash out completely in the washing machine What I dont use is the graphite pencils, they dont like to come out. There is a chemical out there that takes them out, but the average customer would not know that once they got it home and washed it. The other thing I learned this week is how to get straight lines w/o marking, espically if you are doing border work. I will explain it if someone wants me to. Blessings and hugs Tracey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sams Mom Posted November 24, 2004 Report Share Posted November 24, 2004 Tracey, Please tell of the straight line technique. Thanks, Donna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragonflyquilts Posted November 30, 2004 Report Share Posted November 30, 2004 Donna, email me when you get a chance, I will try to explain it here. Tracey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darlene Epp Posted November 30, 2004 Report Share Posted November 30, 2004 Since I never wanted to mark a customer's quilt and had NO success with the paper method, I got very good at "pantographing" things from the back of the machine. Still, there were things I wanted to do that I felt limited in because I refused to take chances with the customer's quilt. I've had some harrowing experiences with both the blue wash out pens and the blue pounce powder. EUREKA! The answer is MIRACLE CHALK!! This stuff disappears with just a bit of steam. It comes as powder, which can be swiped across a stencil, as a tailor's chalk type of "crayon" and now as a fat crayon shape. This product is opening up all kinds of possibilities for me. I use the powder on stencils, the sharp edged "tailor" shape to mark even divisions when freehanding a sashing or border, and the crayon will be used to sketch out freehand shapes before quilting. They show up as white on medium-dark fabrics, and on light fabrics, I get a dark line when using the black light. The best of both worlds! I think the more I use this product, the more uses I'm going to find for it. The price is right too. (This is not Magic Chalk that is sprayed on.) You can see it here, but I don't have the new crayons pictured on the site yet. http://www.longarmsupplies.com/MiracleChalk.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maudie Posted November 30, 2004 Report Share Posted November 30, 2004 Darlene - Thanks for mentioning that Miracle Chalk is NOT Magic Chalk - didn't realize there were two different products! I had seen each mentioned at different times and had just ignored both after checking out the price of the spray type Magic Chalk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted November 30, 2004 Report Share Posted November 30, 2004 There are so many things that can cause problems when marking. I too love the new Miracle Chalk. I have it in a pounce, one the crayons, and some of the little things that look like soap slivers or tailors chalk. I also will use blue pen if I know that I am allowed to wash the quilt. You have to totally submerge the quilt in cool water to get that stuff totally out. If you spritz it out with water or a mist of water and baking soda, it could re-appear if your customer takes it home in her car on a hot day! I also like the Clover white pen that disappears with a steam iron. That has worked really well for me. You just need to realize that it doesn't appear on the cloth until it has dried, so don't keep tracing and tracing, thinking you're doing something wrong! Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam Geary Posted December 1, 2004 Report Share Posted December 1, 2004 Thanks, everyone, for your insights. I often use the blue pens and the white clover pens for darker fabrics. I agree that the blue needs to be rinsed out thoroughly. The white pen just takes a touch with a warm iron to disappear. No steam is necessary. Be careful of the batting! Batts with any type of synthetic in them can melt at the touch of an iron that's too hot. This can cause them to compress and become stiff and flat. I am also a great fan of the Dissolve. I draw or trace my design onto the Dissolve with a Sharpie marker. It's important that the marker be permanent so it doesn't come off on the quilt. I have never had to spritz it because it tears out so beautifully. I use my "purple thang" to coax out tiny closed in spots and they come out easily. I have a friend who does spritz it and it goes away completely. Dissolve is my favorite right now. I like it better that the paper because you can see through it which allows for more accurate placement on the quilt. I use it for almost every quilt I do- not necessarily the whole quilt but for at least parts of it. Superior Threads sells bolts of 110 yards of Dissolve that is 47" wide and not a bad price. I'll try to attach pics of examples after Dissolve is removed. I hope you can see them. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam Geary Posted December 1, 2004 Report Share Posted December 1, 2004 I apologize for the size of the pic I attached in my previous post. I had no idea it would be soooo big! And that made it difficult to see. I guess I'll have to take a lesson on how to shrink a pic before I ever try to attach one again. Thanks, Pam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragonflyquilts Posted December 1, 2004 Report Share Posted December 1, 2004 Okay, I thought I was gonna have to have this long explanation of how to do it, but now that I think about it the short of it is this. Use a ruler or ruler's to guide you. Such as border work. You can use the ruler to make sure that you are gonna have a straigt line on the pattern. For other stuff, such as motif's in the center of squares. If the center is not marked on the pattern, I measure it out and mark the center myself, then I put the needle in the center of where I want to start and go from there. You could use a dissapearing pen to make a small dot if you need to, espically on a customers quilt. The other thing that was brought to my attention from a friend who has a machine was to use a pattern holder, which my husband made for me, and have an overlay sheet put over the pattern itself with a square that has an astrik drawn through it to mark the center for you. Hopefully this will explain it okay for you. If not ask me to clarify and I will. Blessings and hugs Tracey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeri Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Pam, you posted about using Dissolve just as I had been thinking it would be a good thing to try. I hate picking out bits of paper etc. from the thread as it takes way too much time. I tried it yesterday and have had a skipping stitch problem only where I used the Dissolve. I lowered the hopping foot a bit as the stitching was perfect without the stabalizer. It helped some but I'm still getting a skipped stitch here and there. Have you run into this problem? Other than that I love the stuff!! I did use crayola washable markers on it rather than permanent ink to prevent any chance of permanent ink getting on the quilt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeri Posted December 13, 2004 Report Share Posted December 13, 2004 I think I figured out why I was getting skipped stitches. I had used a touch of temp. adhesive to anchor the Dissolve when I just used tape and no adhesive the problem went away. jeri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busybee Posted December 17, 2004 Report Share Posted December 17, 2004 I just got tired of looking at this post because of the size it was. Some reason it is larger then the computer screen and too many post to go through. ??????????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeri Posted January 22, 2005 Report Share Posted January 22, 2005 I've started using water soluable stabalizer to draw patterns on and stitch through. I use the chldrens washable Crayola markers just incase there is any transferrence. No picking out bity bits in the stitches!!! Saves hours of time. Also the new Miracle chalk is my current favortie goody jeri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbWetzel Posted January 22, 2005 Report Share Posted January 22, 2005 I just finished a Valentine Quilt... It was my own. I did it free handed, with hearts and loops. I came out really nice. I need to practice on lines with my ruler. It is so true that practice makes it easier.... I am getting better all the time. Barb Wetzel Ivy Corner Quilting Altoona, Ia. 50009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendy-ON Posted January 26, 2005 Report Share Posted January 26, 2005 just wondering is there any way someone could fix this post so that it's not so hard to read? it has so much valuable information. Thankyou so much for everyone, the information you share is so valuable to us newbies and always seems so timely too. I've also just discovered that if you hit reply to this message you can read all of the posts in normal size Wendy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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