What to use to mark on brown fabric

[Margo]

Me, too, Louise! I've used them for years, and with my eyes getting worse all the time, I really like the thicker line because it's easier for me to see! I always wash my quilts as soon as I get the binding on, and am careful not to hit the marks with a hot iron or use hot water for the first rinse.
I fill the washer with cool water and soak the quilt for about an hour then spin the water out and refill with fresh water and run the quilt through a gentle cycle with warm water and mild detergent. I like Orvus Paste that I get at the farmer's co-op. It was developed to wash animals (think 4-H and county fairs) and rinses out easily. It's really concentrated, so it only takes a little in the washer.

Love the Crayola WASHABLE markers!

[Margo]

Been using them for years. Love 'em.

[Judymc]

I had a near DISASTER with the Crayola Washable Markers on a Toile fabric I was hand quilting!!! :shock: I'm always careful with any marker not to get it near heat, etc. I just about died when I soaked it and it wasn't coming all the way out! I finally had to resort to using Oxy-Clean in the water and that finally brought the blue marks out.

[Margo]

If you were hand quilting, how long were the marks in the fabric? I don't know for sure, but maybe the fact that I do machine quilting, and the marks are usually washed out in a few days would make a difference? And, like everything else in quilting, it pays to pre-test the marker on the fabric. Glad to know that Oxy-Clean will get out stubborn marks!

Also, since I usually have starched my fabrics, that probably helps the marks to come out, and that is something that hand quilters won't be doing!

[Judymc]

I can't remember how long it took me to hand quilt the one border--thank goodness I didn't use the Crayola marker anywhere else on the quilt. Pre-testing wouldn't be of any use unless you left the marks on the fabric for a month or longer and then tried to remove them. I think the washable markers are meant for children's clothing that will be washed in a few days. I would also be concerned about the markers because they seem to become permanent as they sit. Hopefully, they won't resurface after several years.

[Margo]

I've recently gotten one of the Bohin chalk markers and really do like how it shows up on fabric. I plan to do some testing to see how it washes out.

[Margo]

I tried one of those Fonz and Porter mechanical chalk pencils at a recent retreat and am SOLD! It makes such a nice fine line and seems to brush off when I want it to. Just wish I'd found it sooner. I ended up quilting on the brown fabric using tape and it wasn't as convenient.

Windy today in Western NY!

[Margo]

After looking at the Bohin and the Fons & Porter mechanical pen chalk markers, I think they are exactly the same thing in different packaging. The pens are even the same color! I heard yesterday that some of the colored chalks are difficult to get out of fabric, so I'll probably stay with the white.

[Margo]

This is a little off-topic, but I've recently used MARKING PENCIL REMOVAL spray

http://www.quiltersrule.com/marking/mpr.html

and was really pleased with it.

I had used a graphite pencil to mark the text on my GRAM SAYS quilt and (of course) it did not come out in the wash. I sprayed the marks with this liquid, let it sit for about 15 minutes, then blotted the marks with a damp wash cloth and every bit of it came out!!