O my gosh! It came back!!

I hope you didn't iron over any of the marks. Generally it takes more than just wiping with something damp to remove the marks. Wiping can just force the ink into the batting, sometimes. You really need to rinse those well to remove the ink, especially if you made fairly heavy marks. And make sure there is no detergent/soap when you rinse. I suggest putting the quilt under running water to remove the marks thoroughly.

Always test your markers and the removal of marks on scraps before using on a project. Something everyone learns, often the hard way. (Don't ask...........)

Pati, in Phx

Sherry wrote:

Unfortuantely, I did iron over them (duh)...in my infintessional wisdom, I got it so wet from sponging I thought I'd dry it really fast with a hot iron. They're very faint now. I can live with it.

Tell me this, Pati, and I swear I won't ask any more stupid questions. Not today, anyway :-) I *really* like using this marker. I decided to use it with stencils for the handquilting pattern. If I *do* go ahead and mark it again with the same pen, it'll come out with a real washing, after I'm done, won't it? In the washer, I mean. Chalk is so temporary and smudges off so easy. Invisible pens gets, well, invisible before I"m done. I'm not real crazy about this quilt, and have no plans for it.

Sherry

Is there anyway that you can pop it in the washer? Or maybe a sudsy (laundry detergent) sink with lukewarm water????

That happened to me once and since it was a "utility" quilt I went ahead and finished it. It was like that for about 2 months - then I washed it (son was feeling poorly and ... well ... tossed his "cookies") and the marks came out.

I use (NAYY, of course) Arm & Hammer detergent .... not sure if it would work in your case (fabrics are different - the finishing/preserving solutions they use on fabrics can vary) - which is why I ask if you can dunk it NOW before you put any more hard work into it.

I really, really, really hope that if my idea doesn't work (or you can't dunk it) that someone else comes in with an idea that works!!

(((Sherry)))

Again, be careful of using the washing machine. Any hint of detergent/ some soaps can also set some of the "wash out" inks permanently. They can also come back as a brownish stain years later. sigh.

For marking that will hold better than clay chalk, look into wax tailors chalk, in white. Because of the wax, it does show up on white and light colors. But it will disappear from natural fibers with a bit of heat. I started using it when I worked in an alterations/tailor shop. You can buy a box of 48 pieces for under $10. And that is enough to last for years. If you look for "Miracle Chalk" in quilt shops, it is the same thing, but a lot cheaper by the box. I highly recommend getting together with a friend or several and doing a mass purchase. (It is heavy so shipping can be a bit high, but I did buy 6 boxes last year and it came out to about $7 plus change per box, including shipping.) And don't order it in the summer..... it is wax and can melt in the heat.

You can sharpen the little squares very easily too. I use a pen knife and just scrape the edge of the chalk a bit. Get the white, as I say, you can see it on white and I know it disappears. I accidentally got sent a box of yellow and I haven't gotten around to checking it yet. Hope it will disappear too.

Some people have used the Crayola washable fine line markers for marking quilts. But do test to make sure they wash out.

Have fun, And I always like to answer questions.... it is part of being a teacher.

Pati, in Phx

Sherry wrote:

"Pati C." wrote in news:f95ppa$99c$ snipped-for-privacy@aioe.org:

That's good to know! I recently had a battle with light green chalk and lost. I had to make part of some markings from white to black so I used the above *for fabric* chalk to see. We thought the first wash didn't work well because the chalk particles were sewn underneath the thread. After brushing with baking soda and an old toothbrush and rewashing, I've decided I can live with some faint light green lines. Argh!

It's not the white tailor's chalk in the little plastic holder, is it?

Howdy!

This reminds me of last week's discussion on Read the Manual.

From the instruction (manual) panel on the back of the Wonder Marker: ... "(Used properly the Wonder Marker is the safest most convenient marker available on the market today.) [they say; I agree]

Directions Always test W.M. on a spare swatch ... ...Caution: Be sure marks are completely removed w/ plain water before laundering. Some laundry products containing more than 3% sodium hydroxide or more than 5% sodium carbonate may cause the marks to turn a brownish color if they are not removed before laundering. Do Not Iron Over Marks before removing ... ."

There's more but that's the basics, on all of this type marker I've been using for 30+ yrs.. While I haven't had any problem with them, YMMV. One of my quilt tops had marks on it for more than 10 yrs. (it was an embroidered top that someone took home & put in storage ["safe keeping"], finally returned it to me for quilting); those marks washed out, no traces of them 20 yrs. later. I've even ironed over the marks & they rinsed out. ;-)

Dabbing the marks w/ a little water usually does not remove them. "Completely removed" means immersing the item in water, letting the water penetrate the ink to remove it. If I change my mind mid-quilting, I dab the marks so they lighten, then re-mark the top & keep quilting. After the job is Finished I run the quilt thru' a rinse cycle, check to make sure the marks are gone, then toss in a little soap or BIZ and wash the quilt, check for marks, then throw it in the dryer. For now, don't let those brown marks scare you; Finish your quilt, then follow the laundry instructions. Good luck.

Ragm> I marked a quilt with one of those (allegedly) easy-wash-out light-

Biz to the rescue. Got a brand new pair of pillowcases-Large Butterflies on a white background. The iron spit brown rust stains right in the middle of the pillowcase (Mine quit, so I borrowed the neighbors) soaked said pillowcase in Biz overnight---you can't tell they were there at all. Fortunately, it was a 'cheap' steam travel iron. Off to online hunt for another Proctor-Silex flat bottom iron--and using my spritzer. This one lasted 10 years.

Butterfly

There's a lot to be said for old-fashioned flat bottom irons. We cleaned out a storage building, and I found the one that I got in my wedding shower. It was hardly used, still in the box even. (I married in the middle of the polyester-double-knit era, nobody ironed anything, and after that, I wanted a steam iron). I nearly tossed it out to Goodwill, but decided to plug it in and see if it still worked. I love that iron now. I'm so glad I kept it.

Sherry

Thanks, Sandy. I did what Pati suggested, and ran the border under running water. The marks are gone. I learned something for sure--like never use the "dab and iron" method. It was a scary moment. BIZ seems to be a favored product here, BTW. Something else to try.

Sherry

No, that is a clay chalk. But you can use the holder, and the sharpener on it, for the wax chalk. The only places I have ever seen the wax chalk is at tailor supply places. (It is sometimes called Tailor's crayon.) And as "Miracle Chalk" at a couple of local quilt shops and a few places on line. Miracle Chalk also comes in a "crayon" shape. But in either form as "Miracle Chalk" it is a lot more expensive than as tailor's chalk. (Last price I remember was almost $5 for

I think I ordered last from

Just checked their website, the chalk is "regular size Colonel Tailor's Chalk" and is $6.50 a box, plus shipping. They also have a Wax Crayon Pencil, which looks like the chalk in a pencil form, box of 12 for $6.50.

If you search for sewing and tailoring, or alterations, supplies you should find several sources. Look for a description that is "wax and pigment", and I recommend the white.

Pati, in Phx

Terri wrote:

Thank you! You have saved me from sending more online hours. I didn't have any luck whatsoever.even went so far as to check eBay.

Butterfly (they're lighter than any steam iron )

When I used those markers, I marked each square just before I quilted it and then squirted with a spray bottle of water right after quilting. Then when the whole quilt was done, I ran it through the rinse cycle of the washer with no detergent. Only then did I add detergent and wash it. (I always wash my quilts after they are done because I want to remove any oils from my hands or other soil they accumulated while I was making them; I also often use basting spray and want to wash that out. And, I like the slightly crinkly look they have after washing.)

Julia in MN

Same here! It makes them look "pre-loved" and so much cuddlier! :)