Tmaus Posted March 7, 2008 Report Share Posted March 7, 2008 Can any of you tell me if you would mark a quilt before you load it onto the LA or as you go. I\'m using chalk with templates and I\'ve done this before but always with the quilt already loaded and then I\'m not able to adjust the pattern for the boarders. It\'s a small lap quilt but I\'m concerned that I would get it all marked and then the chalk would disappear as I load it and roll it to do the quilting. What do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted March 7, 2008 Report Share Posted March 7, 2008 I don\'t...because chalk doesn\'t stay on the quilt for me. If I know I need a border and want it on before I load, I use the blue pens and tell the customer that the quilt needs to be washed right away and they need to keep it out of the heat before they wash it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tmaus Posted March 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 I tried all my pens and markig tools to see what would show up on the material, it\'s very dark. The only thing that showed up well is the chalk that\'s in the little tube and runs with a wheel. I don\'t know how else to say that but I tried it on a scrap and then blew on it and brushed it a bit. It still showed up so I think I\'m going to try marking the quilt and then load it. I\'m thinking even if the chalk gets real light I should be able to pounce it once it\'s loaded. It\'s the making the pattern fit that always stumps me. I have read on this chat line for about a year and a half. I love reading everbody\'s problems and answers, its so fun. I\'ve had a LA for a year and a half; well almost a half. And I\'ve done some quilting but I\'ve been working full time and come home so tired I can\'t do anything much. and then the weekends always seem to fill up with things that need to be done. I\'m so excited because we have put our house up for sale and when it sells and we get into another place (we are downsizing) I will only have to work part time and you can guess what I will be doing much more of. So I can\'t wait until it all happens. So I just needed to tell someone. I can\'t wait to have more time to quilt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tmaus Posted March 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 Oh, I forgot to say thank you Bonnie. I appreciate your input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 Isn\'t it great that you will have more fun time soon! My advice for marking dark fabrics is Miracle Chalk (stays put and removes with heat) or a General chalk pencil. The pencils come in several shades and are harder to remove than the Miracle Chalk, but will disappear in the first wash. Because the fabric is dark I assume you will mark with stencils or free-hand. The pencil will work for freehand and the MC for stencils. Have fun and soon you will find what works best in each situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tmaus Posted March 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 Awesome, thanks for all the info. Where would I get miracle chalk? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcck00 Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 Hi, I don\'t know if JoAnn\'s carries MC, but I know several of my LQS\'s carry it. Maybe you could call around to your LQS? Also, it\'s available online. Just Google it. HTH, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tmaus Posted March 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 Thank you. I\'ll find some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 I find that if I have a fabric that doesn\'t want to hold onto the chalk then I\'ll brush it with a damp cloth and then chalk it and the chalk stays on better. I\'ve also heard you can use hairspray but I haven\'t had as good of results with that. For the most part I try to use regular school chalk that I sharpen and I try to get a good crisp line. It usually holds on pretty good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Patten Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 Hi all, as most of you may or may not know I do 99.9 % of all my thread art on black or almost black fabric. I use the white wash away pen from Clover. The pen is clear so you can see exactly how much is left in the pen and I have never had a problem getting rid of the white lines... just lick the tip of your finger and rubbbbbbb LOL The package does say you will need to soak the marks away but I have never had to soak any of my finished work. The best part is that the white lines will stay on there as long as you need them to be there. The quilt I just finished was marked almost two years ago. A quick note for new users, the white line only shows up when the wash away liquid dries so use it like a pen with just one pass for each line or mark needed... if you do not see the line right away simply blow softly on the fabric and like magic it will appear. If you keep rubbing the pen back and forth over the same spot the liquid stays wet and will not appear... found this out the hard way LOL Good luck and let us know how it turns out.... oh and I mark before pinning the quilt to the frame, but I am sure you could also mark after the quilt top is on the frame... I just like to see where everything is going to go while the fabric is flat and in full view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 Thank you for the question and all the answers.. it really helps.. RitaR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tmaus Posted March 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 Cool about the white pen from Clover. Where could I get one of those? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tmaus Posted March 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 I just googled clover fabric marker but came up with nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 I have purchased these from Joann\'s. Google clover products and the first site has them under notions and then marking pens. I think it said $5.29 each. They are Dritz brand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busybee Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 I love the water soluble pens(purple). Works great and comes out with damp rag or spray mist of water on it. Marker is Marva. Last longer too. I don\'t think the chalk will stay in long enough to do all of the quilt. Nita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 I forgot to mention that if NOTHING works as far as marking pens, I use General\'s Chalk Pencils...they come in an array of colors and you get them in a art supply store or Michael\'s has them in there art department. The clover pens mentioned above are good, but I find that the line is way to fine for me to see well. AND I find that if I mark today, it may be several hours before they marks show up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbi Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 i just used the blue pen on a customer quilt.... most of it came off quite well, but there was an area with heavy quilting and when I went over it with my damp cloth, it bled thru to the back... that came off for now, but I have heard it stays in the batting and shows up from time to time after washing.... anyone had that problem? I\'m really worried since this was a CQ. Mostly I use chalk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 Bobbette, I have found that when you go to wash the quilt the first time....soak it in plain COOL water, NO SOAP or SOFTNERS...just plain water, let it go through the cycle after it has soaked for a bit and you shouldn\'t have any trouble with it showing back up at a later date. SOAP and CLOTHES SOFTNERS seem to set the blue pens and after that they won\'t go away. You might want to go into the machine while it is soaking and move the quilt around by hand before it goes though the rest of the cycles. IF you have a front loader you don\'t need to do this as the machine tumbles the fabric where a regular machine sometimes can\'t move it around enough to get the marking away from the fabic and into the water. I don\'t have a front loader, so I make my first washing date at the laundrymat...just make sure you get one that is clean and if you need to run a empty load first. I didn\'t think of this one and one of my quilts was bleach stained from someone else\'s left over bleach in the machine. Also avoid hitting blue marks with a iron, THAT will also set the marks and you can almost guarantee that they won\'t come out if heat has been introduced. This goes also for leaving a quilt in a hot car, for even enough time to run in and get groceries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tmaus Posted March 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 Wow this is all so helpful. I can\'t wait until I get to actually have some hours in the week to sew and quilt. I will take a look at these pens and try the different ones and see what works best for me. Thank you everybody for your input. It is such a help that we have this site and that people are willing to help each other out. That is a bit unusual in the world today. I do have another question. We are selling the home we live in. And everything we are finding has small rooms. I have the 10\' table and I\'m wondering if there might be anyway for me to get an 8\' table. It would be a help in fitting in the room. If not I think we can make it work but it will be quite tight. I\'m not sure if I want to go down to an 8\' but if I need to do you know if I can get one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BethDurand Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 I\'m on Beth\'s computer...but this is really Mary Beth... In addition to the General Pencils that Bonnie mentioned I like the blacklight pencil. It stays put but is suppose to wash out when you wash the quilt. I say "suppose to" because I have never tried it. You can only see it with a blacklight too so once the "real" lights are on you don\'t see it. I think it would work to mark the quilt before you load it. Tamus, I\'m glad you have found some time to quilt - enjoy!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyA Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 I just saw a tip on one of the quilting shows on long arm techniques that you can slightly dampen the quilt with a damp cloth before you apply the miracle chalk when pouncing and then the chalk will not bounce off the quilt as you stitch. I\'ve been on the couch for 4 weeks now due to foot surgery - and watching alot of quilt shows. Only just now have begun to piece a top. YAHOOOO. 3 more weeks and I hope to be back in the studio on custom work only.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PattyJo Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 Hey Mary Beth - where do you get your black light pencil?? It was fun getting to meet you in person. And be sure and tell your son, that you were worth fighting over!!! :P:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myrna Ficken Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 I really like the Clover pens too. They are steam off Never tried licking it off They give a very fine line as Sue said. I also use Miracle Chalk and I use one of those little foam paint brushes to rub it on with. Bruynzeel pencils work really well and I use only gray. Sue it\'s great seeing you on the chat! Myrna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jhend Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 I have no problem marking my quilts prior to loading them if I use MC on a hard surface with a disposable paint sponge. It gets down into the fabric enough that it seems to just shade it if the fabric is darkish. It doesn\'t come out until I vacuum it and maybe a shot of a hot iron for the rest. If I need to chalk a stencil while a quilt is on, I slide my Hindenberg standing quilt hoop, with a piece of hard board on top and I\'m able to chalk away. Next I\'m putting wheels on the quilt hoop so it slides easier. It works great as it can be adjusted up and down and covers alot of space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Patty Jo, You are so nice...I wanted to take all of you home with me. Oh, I\'m still not home...still at Beth\'s just signed in under my log in. I leave in about an hour. http://www.quiltingstencils.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=6120 This is the link for the pencil I use. I love \'em... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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