pencil marks on quilt tops
Carole Prevost
How do you remove pencil lines on a quilt top (fabric white on white). I
tried Harriet Hargraves recipe, 1 part rubbing alcohol to 3 parts water
with a couple drops of palmolive, and it's not working. Is this a common
problem? Thanks Carole
Ms. Piglet
MSM always swore by a blend of 50% Lestoil and 50% Prell Shampoo for
anything hard to get out....with a toothbrush....
megan
--
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DianaCNP
My mom bought a beautiful antique quilt that is pefect in every way _except_
for the dark pencil marks under the grid quilitng pattern on the white
background fabric. To make things worse, she had it dry cleaned once.
We tried the Harriet Hargrave recipe to no avail. I fear those pencil marks
are permanent.
Diana in Ohio
Debbie Reed
I'm not going to be of much help with this but I will commiserate with
you. I used a blue felt tip "washable" markers on a quilt top and
thought I would never get it all out. I ended up soaking the quilt
for days, scrubbing gently, lots of Spray-N-Wash, Clorox II, (just
about everything I had that I didn't think would harm the quilt) and
finally was able tor remove the ink. It seemed to be mostly in the
seams (or where I had crossed a seam when marking) that I couldn't get
it out. I've used these same markers for a couple of years and this
was the first time I'd ever had this problem. I'm more careful with
the seams now when marking.
Good luck!!! Keep working on it. Something will work eventually.
Carolyn &/or Steve
I've gotta ask--are these regular ol' #2 graphite pencils?
My mom does quilting and marks her lines with a regular pencil, and
complains that the marks don't stay very long--they get rubbed off too
easily!
Based on my mother's experience, I went ahead and marked my sister's quilt
with pencil--true, the marks didn't wash out all the way, but I've been
hoping they'd wear away soon as the quilt was used and washed further.
False hopes?
Carolyn in Harlingen, TX
Lynne <lynn...@yorku.ca> wrote in article <347066...@yorku.ca>...
> Carole, I've tried the "right" recipe, and found that it
> worked.....so-so. In other words, some of the marks came out and some
> didn't. However, I did notice that even those which remained faded
> considerably, so I am hoping that the next time I wash that quilt, and I
> use 'the formula' again, the remaining marks will lighten even more.
>
> I have also vowed NOT to mark with pencil again.
>
> Carole Prevost wrote:
> >
> > I made a mistake when I mixed the recipe. Harriet Hargrave's recipe is
3
> > parts rubbing alcohol to 1 part water with a couple of drops of Joy or
> > Palmolive dishwashing soap. I did the opposite. Using a soft
toothbrush I
> > scrubbed the dark lines. After laundering and drying I did notice that
the
> > lines were lighter. I didn't get a chance to use the right recipe. I
gave
> > the quilt away tonight to my mother in law for her birthday. She
didn't
> > seem to notice the pencil marks. I'll have to test the right recipe.
>
Kate Sheppard
I could be wrong, but I've heard from various sources that graphite
pencils should wash out, but that many normal "lead" pencils are now made
not from graphite but from polymers that don't wash out. Which just
complicates matters further....
Kate in Berkeley
she...@ceb.ucop.edu
Ruth Evans
Let me quote Harriet Hargrave on p. 34 of her Heirloom Machine Quilting
book:
Traditionally, a graphite pencil has been used to draw directly onto the
quilt top. Do not use a #2 soft lead pencil because the cotton fabric tends
to absorb the line and seldom releases it totally. A #4 hard lead
engineering pencil works well. The print stays sharp and leaves a very
light line. It is suitalbe for light solids, muslin, and white fabrics.
Some hard-lead mechanical pencils are excellent choices, as they remain
sharp.
She continues with...
Dixon Washout CLoth Markers are very good for prints and colors. They are
available in red, green, and blue. The red and green are especially helpful
when marking on darker prints.
She further continues....
There are several good white markers that can be used on dark fabrics. A
white charcoal pencil called Charcoal White, from General Pencil Co. is very
good, as is the white pastel pencil from Germany called Carb-Othello.
Neither of these has additives that can cause problems on fabrics. Be
careful about using white dressmaker's chalk pencils because their high wax
content makes the lines difficult to remove. They are made to makr on the
inside of garments, not on the right side.
Hope that helps!
--
Ruth who read her newish Heirloom Machine Quilting book Saturday while her
car was being worked on!
"I have been deceived, distraught and devastated by friends, but I have
never been deserted by my dog." - Robert E. Winslow
Carolyn &/or Steve wrote in message <01bcf385$4e4b7820$7ba148a6@fpfzqlga>...
>I've gotta ask--are these regular ol' #2 graphite pencils?
>My mom does quilting and marks her lines with a regular pencil, and
>complains that the marks don't stay very long--they get rubbed off too
>easily!
Kathy I. Morgan
Debbie Reed <dm...@virginia.edu> wrote:
> I used a blue felt tip "washable" markers on a quilt top and
> thought I would never get it all out. I ended up soaking the quilt
> for days, scrubbing gently, lots of Spray-N-Wash, Clorox II, (just
> about everything I had that I didn't think would harm the quilt) and
> finally was able tor remove the ink. It seemed to be mostly in the
> seams (or where I had crossed a seam when marking) that I couldn't get
> it out.
Uhh, it's really important to rinse the blue felt tip washable marker
ink out with plain _cold_ water and _no_ soap. Soap/detergent or heat
(such as from pressing seams or from warm water) sets the marks and even
makes them permanent.
Kathy in AK
Lynne
I think it might depend on the type of pencil you use, and how hard you
mark. i used a soft pencil (2B) and it was awful. I also marked too
hard (likely) I haven't tried it with a harder pencil, which might make
lighter marks. I am looking for different alternatives, that's for
sure!
Rita Denenberg
nanners2 wrote:
>
> Carolyn &/or Steve wrote:
> >
> > I've gotta ask--are these regular ol' #2 graphite pencils?
> > My mom does quilting and marks her lines with a regular pencil, and
> > complains that the marks don't stay very long--they get rubbed off too
> > easily!
> > Based on my mother's experience, I went ahead and marked my sister's quilt
> > with pencil--true, the marks didn't wash out all the way, but I've been
> > hoping they'd wear away soon as the quilt was used and washed further.
> > False hopes?
> > Carolyn in Harlingen, TX
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > >
> graphite marking pencil...I have not seen these in the stores and I am
> curious if anyone has sent for this and tried it? The ad says it will
> for sure wash out...my experience with the Ultimate marking pencil is
> that if you mark dark enough to see it, it doesn't wash out well...I
> wonder if this is something really new...or really old...I read the note
> about new pencils not actually being graphite...maybe that is the
> key...Nancy
I don't use graphite anymore since there is a new brand of pencil on the
market called "Roxanne's Quilter's Choice". It comes in white for dark
fabrics, and silver for light fabrics. It lasts for the lenghth of the
project and washes out easily. It can be purchased at your quilt shop.
They used to have a solution that would "erase" the markings but my
quilt shop says they don't produce it anymore.
Rita
Lob...@spamaway.att.net
Rita Denenberg wrote:
> > In one of the new Q mags...there is a marking pencil advertised as NEW
> > graphite marking pencil...I have not seen these in the stores and I am
> > curious if anyone has sent for this and tried it? The ad says it
Has anyone tried "The Thin Line"? It comes in 2 colors ... purple which
is "air erasable" and aqua which disappears when you rub it with a damp
cloth.
The purple just disappears (but they warn not to iron over it as then it
will be set and cannot be removed). Someone told me it disappears too
fast too. She wasn't done with her project before it was gone.
--
To respond by email, replace spamawaywith worldnet
nanners2
Carolyn &/or Steve wrote:
>
> I've gotta ask--are these regular ol' #2 graphite pencils?
> My mom does quilting and marks her lines with a regular pencil, and
> complains that the marks don't stay very long--they get rubbed off too
> easily!
> Based on my mother's experience, I went ahead and marked my sister's quilt
> with pencil--true, the marks didn't wash out all the way, but I've been
> hoping they'd wear away soon as the quilt was used and washed further.
> False hopes?
> Carolyn in Harlingen, TX
>
>
>
>
> >
graphite marking pencil...I have not seen these in the stores and I am
Ellison
Howdy!
The air-erasable pen is meant to
mark-as-you-sew, doing just a small area
at a time. Which is usually the way I work,
hand-quilting, of course. ;-]
Ragmop, ----someone please pass the
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Lob...@spamaway.att.net wrote in article
<64vpe3$6...@bgtnsc03.worldnet.att.net>...
> Rita Denenberg wrote:
> > > In one of the new Q mags...there is a marking pencil advertised as
NEW
> > > graphite marking pencil...I have not seen these in the stores and I
am
> > > curious if anyone has sent for this and tried it? The ad says it
>
Bonnie Patterson
On Tue, 18 Nov 1997 13:46:43 -0500, Lynne <lynn...@yorku.ca> wrote:
. i used a soft pencil (2B) and it was awful. I also marked too
>hard (likely) I haven't tried it with a harder pencil, which might make
>lighter marks. I am looking for different alternatives,
What about those disapearing pens? Do they make the fabric disolve?
I know that they fade away. I know that 40 years ago (oh no, it can't
be that long) the folks next door always used an ordinary #2 school
pencil and ruler to mark they're quilts, and the fabric was from the
house dress factory ($2.00 for postage and handling) with no choice of
colors (it was all cotton). They also used feed sack material.
Bonnie
Thomas Phillips
Kate Sheppard wrote:
>
> I could be wrong, but I've heard from various sources that graphite
> pencils should wash out, but that many normal "lead" pencils are now made
> not from graphite but from polymers that don't wash out. Which just
> complicates matters further....
>
> Kate in Berkeley
> she...@ceb.ucop.edu
I've seen many an old quilt (like from the 30's) which still had the
pencil-drawn quilting lines intact. Looks like a problem we haven't
completely solved yet. (I use chalk myself--and re-mark a lot!)
Glenda
Lois Olsen
Lob...@spamaway.att.net wrote i
> (snip)
> Has anyone tried "The Thin Line"? It comes in 2 colors ... purple
which
> is "air erasable" and aqua which disappears when you rub it with a
damp
> cloth.
>
> The purple just disappears (but they warn not to iron over it as
then it
> will be set and cannot be removed). Someone told me it disappears
too
> fast too. She wasn't done with her project before it was gone.
I live in a hot place and the purple "fading" pens disappear way too
fast for me. I'd be interested to hear from those of you who live in
cooler places about them though.
Lois from the NT in Australia
Bonnie Patterson
>What about those disapearing pens? Do they make the fabric disolve?
>I know that they fade away. I know that 40 years ago (oh no, it can't
>be that long) the folks next door always used an ordinary #2 school
>pencil and ruler to mark they're quilts
See I can/can't spell. It should be "their" quilts! I will try to
proof read my posts. I will try to......
Sorry, Bonnie
Ruth Evans
Yesterday while in Boise, I found the new book by Lynette Jensen called At
Home with Thimbleberries Quilts. She mentions this trick...
"To remove yellow lead pencil marks from dark fabric, try using Scoth brand
Long Mask tape. This is a blue masking tape that is used by painters for
masking off areas of a room. You can rub this tape gently over the fabric
in the same way you would use an eraser to remove the pencil markings."
Hope this helps someone.
--
Ruth
"I have been deceived, distraught and devastated by friends, but I have
never been deserted by my dog." - Robert E. Winslow
Thomas Phillips wrote in message <6550tn$2...@bgtnsc02.worldnet.att.net>...
KWillert
Has anyone beside me used the washable markers by Crayola. I've used them on
dozens of mini quilts and one whole cloth quilt. Wash in cold water, no soap.
I have never had a problem getting the marks out. Besides they come in just
about every color under the sun.
Kathy in Northern Minnesota, where winter has set in!
ellen.c...@saralee.net
Hi Kathy!
Never used them for quilting, but I have about a million of
them, I'll have to try them out. I would want to be sure to test
first, the deep purple can be a little harder to get out of skin.
For those with kids at home, these are one of the greatest
toys ever invented. Take one package Crayola Washable markers (be
sure they are the washable ones!!!!). Add two or three bored kids.
Encourage kids to decorate each other - faces, arms, legs, even
tummies! Vines down the arms, snakes crawling up the legs, spider on
the shoulder, bunnies and sunbursts and ...... Enjoy shocked
expressions (you mean it's really ok to draw on Tommy?), followed by
squeals of laughter and happy faces. Follow with a warm bath - it
comes right off!
Also great encouragement for kids who dislike bathing.
This is one of my family's favorite summer activities -
afterward we just hose 'em off in the back yard!
Ellen in Winston-Salem, NC, where we just got out the coats this week
Pam
I think it's the *humidity* that makes the purple marks disappear, not the
temperature. It's the same type of thing as the blue ones, only it will
erase from the normal humidity in the air rather than needing to rub or
rinse it in water.
That said, I think it would be a good idea to wash the entire quilt in
"just water" afterwards to make sure it all came out. I'd be concerned,
though, because didn't someone do a study once that the erasable markers
did some sort of damage to the fabrics that shows up years later?
Pam (near Seattle)
Lois Olsen <lois...@bigpond.com> wrote in article
<01bcf56c$4f0f3100$LocalHost@olsen>...
Lavender Blue
I've been following this thread with some interest, and girls, u haven't
helped the fear building inside one little bit.
We've (my quilting group) have just marked out a queensize quilt with heaps
of quilting, feathers and stuff using a 2b pencil!
Oh dear! Oh darn! Oh gosh! (and other such fourletter words)
Methinks I'd better start finding some foolproof way of getting it off and
quick.
There really doesn't seen to be an easy answer to marking out quilts, does
there.
Wendy in Coffs Harbour Aussie, finally having a cool day.
--
NANCY E WALKER
This is the absolute biggest problem in quilting..just when you think you
hve found some perfect method..it's not!<G> I marked a quilt with chalk
pencil...just chalk...welll, maybe the chalk came out..but the color
didn't...Nancy
Lavender Blue <wend...@key.net.au> wrote in article
<01bcfc55$ca149ee0$6804...@wendy.key.net.au>...
Joy Barnard
My quilt buddy says to use old fashion aerosol hair spray! I have a can
that I am about to use on a wallhanging that has yellow pencil marks on
it. YIKES. This was a "quilter's pencil" too...won't use that again.
Ellen Halseth
In article <01bcfc55$ca149ee0$6804...@wendy.key.net.au>, "Lavender Blue"
<wend...@key.net.au> wrote:
> I've been following this thread with some interest, and girls, u haven't
> helped the fear building inside one little bit.
> We've (my quilting group) have just marked out a queensize quilt with heaps
> of quilting, feathers and stuff using a 2b pencil!
>
> Oh dear! Oh darn! Oh gosh! (and other such fourletter words)
>
> Methinks I'd better start finding some foolproof way of getting it off and
> quick.
>
> There really doesn't seen to be an easy answer to marking out quilts, does
> there.
>
> Wendy in Coffs Harbour Aussie, finally having a cool day.
> --
I mark as many of my quilts as possible with a #2 pencil. I love to
quilt, but I hate squinting and guessing where the lines might be. None
of the quilts I have ever marked this way still have the marks on them.
Once they are washed, the marks just go away. If they don't a little
Spray 'n' Wash gets rid of 'em. I make both wallhangings and bed quilts
this way.
Don't be intimidated. Everyone has techniques that work for them. The
thing to remmber is that you will find out what works for you and your
group. It's too easy to feel like the "quilt police" are out there
looking over your shoulder.
Ellen
Jo and Jos Hindriks
Some of the watercolor type pencils from the art supply store are good
for marking. We have had good results with the Derwent brand. The
markings can be removed with a damp cloth. These pencils come in many
colors so there's a pencil for every fabric.
Or try soapstone. But that one only comes in white.
Jos
--
Jo & Jos Hindriks, the Dutch Quilting Couple in America
Free original patterns at Dutchman Designs:
http://www.erols.com/qdutch/index.html
M. Pintar
el...@ptialaska.net (Ellen Halseth) wrote:
>>
>> There really doesn't seen to be an easy answer to marking out quilts, does
>> there.
>>
I mark all my sewing with a piece of soap. Marie
Mary Yohn
This may be the same new graphite marking pencil I saw on the PineTree
Quilting site. Was intrigued by the description, so got it and tried it out
-- including marking very heavily on several fabrics and then washing to see
if it came out completely. On the samples I made, it all came out. This
looks like a safe choice for pencil marking. You can look up the PineTree
website on http://www.metacrawler.com and read their comments about it.
Incidentally, this pencil came in a holder -- rather similar to soapstone
marker holders -- and the leads are quite thick. Don't expect fine lines from
it, although you can certainly make light lines. Personally, I like it, but
would definitely test it first on every light fabric if I actually used it on
one of my quilts. It would be a good alternative to the blue marking pens,
especially on a quilt in which the lights are all one fabric.
Mary
Jenny
My marker of choice for hand quilting is a 4H mecanical pencil. It makes
a fine, light mark and never needs sharpening. I usually don't worry
about removing it as it is almost invisible when stitched through. On my
last quilt, I changed my mind about one border design when the quilt was
about 95% quilted. I removed the existing pencil lines with the
water/rubbing alcohol/DW liquid recipe and it worked just dandy. I think
the trick is to make just a light line you can just barely see. For
machine quilting, this may not be adequate. I usually require a much
darker line to follow when machine quilting, because my lighting is not as
good, but my needle is moving a whole lot faster than with my
hand-quilting set-up.
Jenny in Calgary
sarah curry smith
NANCY E WALKER wrote:
>
> This is the absolute biggest problem in quilting..just when you think you
> hve found some perfect method..it's not!<G> I marked a quilt with chalk
> pencil...just chalk...welll, maybe the chalk came out..but the color
> didn't...Nancy
> Lavender Blue <wend...@key.net.au> wrote in article
> <01bcfc55$ca149ee0$6804...@wendy.key.net.au>...
> >
> and
> > quick.
> >
> does
> > there.
> >
> > --
> >
please tell me where Coffs Harbour is (gotta mark that Atlas, y'know)
Thanks, and
Happy Trails,
Sarah in Las Cruces, NM (who gave up marking the damn' things a
long time ago, for ALL those reasons, plus a few extras which aren't
worth mentioning)
longla...@gmail.com
longla...@gmail.com
lisanic...@gmail.com
> How do you remove pencil lines on a quilt top (fabric white on white). I
> tried Harriet Hargraves recipe, 1 part rubbing alcohol to 3 parts water
> with a couple drops of palmolive, and it's not working. Is this a common
> problem? Thanks Carole
I tried everything I could find on the internet and even sent off for some Marking Pencil Remover (Quilter's Rule Int'l). Nothing worked. Then I tried using Fels Naphtha that I got at the grocery store in the laundry aisle. I wetted the quilt and rubbed the bar of Fels Naphtha over the marks. Then I washed the quilt in my washing machine. The marks were totally gone. I was happily amazed.