Lately I have read on quite a few quilting blogs quilters saying that they are terrified or scared of using the blue pen on their quilts. In fact one person stated that the blue pen “scared the crap out of her and was terrified to use it”. I am talking about a pen called “Mark B Gone”. This product goes by other names as it is produced by many companies. I have been using this marking pen on fabric for marking quilting lines for I don’t know how many years. I have never, ever, had a problem getting the lines out. The one rule the product comes with though is that you have to wet it completely to get the lines out and not to use any heat on it until it is out. I set up a series of photos to show you how you use it.
mark your fabric (this is muslin) and quilt on your lines
here is a close up of the pen
soak your fabric after you are done with your quilting. For a quilt I put it in the washing machine on a large load, if it is a very large quilt I will put it through a washing load two times just to make sure it is soaked totally through.
Dry it completely. For a small sample like this I just used the hair dryer until it was completely dry. See no blue line.
I took part of the quilting apart so you can see no blue in the batting.
no blue on the back of the batting - nothing soaked through or didn't come out.
The back - no blue line.
This is just a little sample of course. It works for me. If you are unsure of a product however you should always test it on a square of the fabric though to make sure it is ok.
(I am in no way affiliated with the company that makes these pens, just a satisfied customer 🙂 )
I have used markers like this several times and find they work well. They are easy to mark with. I like to wash the whole quilt once its done to ensure all the ink is removed.
.-= Heather´s last blog ..Haiti Peace Quilts =-.
Absolutely, there is nothing to fear in the markers! If you are still worried, test it on a scrap of fabric that is in your quilt first!
Also, there are disappearing purple markers that will vanish in thin air in a couple hours.
I can not imagine quilting without my little blue markers.
Glad you put together such a great demo to cure the fears!
Even on small projects, this pen is wonderful. I use it when I’m making clothes, and just make sure I get it wet enough to disappear. Sometimes, if you don’t get it wet enough, the blue will come back, but that’s my fault, not the pens, and another dousing gets it out every time.
I’ve used them for years.
.-= Shirley´s last blog ..What Snow? =-.
I haven’t had any problems either~ I usually give my quilt a soak in cold water in the bath tub when I am finished and the marks are gone for good. I haven’t ever had any reappear. 😉
.-= call me crazy´s last blog ..~ The Day After~ =-.
glad to see that others have no problems with these markers either – I am amazed though at how many quilters fear these markers. The only ones I have ever had trouble with was yellow and blue chalk markers!!
That is terrific! This is one pen that I have not heard about. But I think that golden rule for any pen is to not put heat on it. I have found that when you put heat on any type of marker or pen they become permanent.
.-= Jackie´s last blog ..1930s Stars Complete =-.
I just used this pen for the first time while taking an online quilting class. I marked all over that quilt and was somewhat concerned that I would be seeing blue for some time. However, I washed it in cold water, small quilt-large load, and dried it and it came out without any blue whatsoever. I am very happy with this product.
.-= Gari´s last blog ..Abby, Design Wall and Done =-.
Thanks for letting us know, Karen! I have yet to use a marker…. I bought two different a couple of weeks ago, but haven’t tried them yet. It looks terrifying – yes – but by reading the instructions – it should work well. 🙂
.-= astrid´s last blog ..What to do a rainy day… =-.
Hi Karen, I use the mark-be gone too and love it! Do you mind if I put a link to this post on my next dye candy blog post?
.-= chris´s last blog ..With Gratitude for a New Heart =-.
A friend of mine has also been marking her quilts with this marker for years and has had no problems whatsoever. I too use this marker for all sorts of marking and will continue to. Thanks for sharing your demo and insights with everyone.
.-= Linda/Thistledown and Co´s last blog ..100 and counting! =-.
I had never had any problems with mark be gone until last week. I was amazed when not only did the mark not come out but the bule marker made a purple mark the spread out an inch around with just a dot. I dit a test sample and it came out when wet but after dry it spread into a large purple dot. Does anyone have a way to get it out?
Lydia
Help I never had any problem with Mark-B-Gone before now!!!! But I cannot get the blue line off my fabric. I left the fabric in water over night….still there!
HELP. What do I try next?
Thanks
Mimi
I made a baby quilt and used the Mark-B-Gone blue pen. I used cold water to get it out, but when dried they came back. So I used cold water with mild soap. When dry many came back. now I’m resorting to the purple side that disappears without water. Just can’t mark too far ahead or you’ll be marking again. Still can’t figure out the problem. It’s only cotton fabric.
I love the pen,however it dries out so quickly after just one use that it must be replaced. If I use it on even a small project and then put it away for perhaps 10 days, when I try to use it again it’s dry. Suggestions?
I have not had that problem – check the cap for a crack – I have had my pen top crack now and then and if I wrap a piece of tape around it it will stay good. I have been using these pens for years and have never had that problem – I buy all different kinds of brands and find Wal-Mart seem to sell them the cheapest. If it is left for months yes I have had them dry out and this flannel seems to be soaking in the ink more than the other fabrics do.