IN QUEST OF THE PERFECT QUILT MARKING TOOL
Do you have trouble choosing the right marking tool for your quilts?
If so, you are in good company…
As we discussed on Open Line Friday, Does the Perfect Marking Pen Exist…choosing a marking tool for fabric is always a challenge.
Many quilters like the blue washable markers–but we’ve all heard some horror stories of the ink returning to spoil a quilt.  I gave up on these markers years ago…every time I reached for mine–DRY!  Keeping a supply of working blue pens was just impossible–and too expensive…
Thus began my search…
THE CRITERIA
A good marking pens for quilt MUST be:
- Easy to see
- Easy to erase
- Strong–not too breakable…
- Reasonably priced
The Dritz Chalk Cartridge Set
Go-to marker for all types of marking. Â (Slightly thick line–can be sharpened.)
With several colors in the package, it is easy to see.
Removes easily with light brushing. Â Occasionally requires a little water to remove.
Rarely breaks and comes with a sharpener.
Price: Â $12–lasts forever.
The Clover Pen Style Chaco Liner
The perfect choice when drawing straight lines, especially when using a straight line stencil. Â (Does not mark well on curved lines.)
Available in three colors. Â Easy to see.
Easy to remove with light brushing.
Unbreakable.
Price-$7. Â Lasts a long time. Â Refills available.
Fons and Porter Mechanical Pencil
Great when fine lines are required.
Comes in two colors. Â Easy to see.
Easy to remove with white eraser or by rubbing with a damp cloth.
Breakage–this pencil does break a bit–otherwise it might be “The Perfect Quilt Marking Pen”.
Price- $12. Â Lasts a long time–though some waste of leads due to breakage.
Pilot Frixion Pens
Highly recommended by many quilters.
Many colors–not white. Â Easy to see especially on light fabric.
Removes readily with STEAM!–though a light trace remains–which removes easily with laundering.
Does not break
Price – $12 for a pack of five. (Best Value)
Clover White Marking Pen
Fine white line–takes several seconds to appear.
Easy to see especially on dark fabrics.
Iron to remove. Â A faint trace may remain even after laundering.
Price-$7. Â Lasts a long time.
Soapstone Marker
Dull line.
Light. Â Can be hard to see.
Easy to remove with brushing.
Rarely breaks.
Price-$12–Lasts forever.
Like most sewing notions, YOU need to be the judge for YOUR projects, YOUR temperament and YOUR budget.
What are YOUR favorite quilt marking pens?
I’d love to hear!
Banished-the-Blue,
Lori
PS…All images, tutorials and information are the property of Lori Kennedy at The Inbox Jaunt and are intended for personal use only.  Feel free to re-blog, pin and share with attribution to The Inbox Jaunt.  For all other purposes, please contact me at lckennedy@hotmail.com.  Thank you.
89 comments
Terrol
I use the blue marker and after I finish a quilt I put it in the washer bu t do not add laundry detergent. Only baking soda and let it go through the whole cycle.
Peggy
Have you ever used a hera marker…especially for grid line marking? No removal required 🙂
Lori Kennedy
I have a Hera marker…I’ll have to dig it out. Is it easy to see when you’re stitching?
Annie of Blue Gables
My white clover marking pen was only used once, the next time I came back, it was dried out.
Lori Kennedy
I like the Clover chalk wheel–never dries out!
Geta Grama
Thank you for all the information, Lori. I shared this post with my readers.
I use the BIC washable markers and I am very happy with them. I pressed over the markings then washed the quilt and everything washed out.
Carola S. De Pasuale
I use the Bohinn mechanical pencil. It marks the lines very precisely and it can be brushed us easily. I love to hand applique, hand pieced and hand quilt, However , it can sometimes take a long time to finish them.Hence a like to use a product that can stay in the quilt for a long time and be reuse on the same line as needed.
Vikki
How were quilts marked by previous generations?
Pamela
I agree, the blue pens dry up before I ever really get to use them. I purchased a Bohin chalk pen and used it for awhile. It worked really nice, but like any pen they can break. Mine did and I really don’t want to spend that much on another one. I have often just used a mechanical pencil, because it is readily available and actually works. Generally, I don’t mark for FMQ, just quilt.
Colette
I like the sewline mechanical pencils. I used the white to mark on black, and I recently used the pink to mark a white quilt and it came out easily is easy to mark fine lines, and I have not had it break.
Rahna Summerlin
For me, I am faithful to the fine-tipped blue pens, I buy them with 40% coupons or whenever they’re on sale. I may use up to two to three pens on a quilt top, rotating between them. I store them in a ziplock bag in the dark laying on their side when not in use. I’ve used them for over 25 years and they have NEVER, EVER reappeared on a quilt, and yes, I do wash all of my quilts. I’ve had nightmare issues with other pens, pencils, markers, and colored chalk NOT coming out, all of which claimed that they would, and I’ve tried many brands. I would suggest not letting a marked top sit for an extended length of time before quilting and washing just to be certain the marks don’t set in the fabrics. For me, the blue pens give me peace of mind, a fine line, I know what to expect from them, and I feel it’s worth the little bit of extra money in the long run. What is a few extra dollars when you have many times that tied up in fabrics and batting, not to mention labor?
Deb Cavanaugh
I love sharpened chalk board chalk but I am on a longarm. It is cheap and brushes away easily
Marilyn Mattfeld
Thanks for the info on the frixion ball point pens. I just put mine in the pencil hold by the computer for everyone to use for notes. .A very friendly quilt shop by me turned me on to GENERAL’S Pastel chalk pencils. The look like a pencil, sharpen like a pencil.. They do tend to get dull, but you can sharpen them.
bobbiesews
Thank you for this wonderful post. I’ve been looking for another marking than the “disappearing” ones. I’ve just ordered the Dritz ones. BTW another post (of many) I loved was the quilters abbreviations.
Beth in AZ
Lori, I have heard on a machine quilting forum about a blue marker remover. I am on the lookout for it. When I find it, I will get one and report back!
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Thanks, Beth!
Karen
Thank you for such an informative tutorial. I have a few of these items in my sewing room and had forgotten about them!
GabiP
Great post! I’m always on the look-out cause it seems when I need it, it’s dried up – I live in a rural town so it’s just not that easy for me to have immediate access to purchase a fresh marking pen.
Jeanine
I’ve tried the Frixion pen, and noticed a faint line on my fabric even after ironing, so I did some research and found this blog post http://mythreesonsknit.blogspot.com/2012/05/pilot-frixion-pen-sewers-warning.html
I tested it for myself, and, yes, the marks do come back! I’m now looking for another marking option for my quilt tops.
Helen B White
My favorite is the blue wash out pen. I have used it over 20 years and have never had any problem washing it out. Like Brenda above, I wash all my quilts after finishing them, and I pin them on my design wall to dry. This way I can block them, as well.
I store my blue marking pen in a zip lock bag to preserve their life longer.
When the blue marking pen does not show up, I use a variety of the pens mentioned above.
I think the Pilot Frixion Pen fall in the same category as the blue pen. However, I love the Pilot pen just like the blue pen.
Connie
My favorite is the Bohin White chalk mechanical marking pencil. Easy to use, fine line, eraser works. What’s not to like? There are different color leads you can use too.
Brenda
Seems like one of the really major factors to consider in choosing a quilt marking tool is whether you are willing to wash the quilt. To me, running it through the wash and let it dry or mostly dry laid flat in a safe spot is the next to last step in making a quilt. Bed quilt, baby quilt, art quilt, whatever — all are washed even if they are made on commission. I don’t do a lot of that (and I can see where it would be difficult for professional machine quilters to wash customer quilts) but if I do they get washed. Otherwise they don’t seem like a quilt, to me. Textile art maybe, quilted surface design maybe, quilt — not quite. (And if you are wondering, the last step is to take a nap under it.) Admittedly this is difficult with those 12″ x 18″ wall pieces, but sometimes a short rest fulfills my finishing ritual.
Please, I’m not trying to start any kind of debate on washing or not washing quilts when they are finished, but merely pointing out that one’s practice in this regard should be one of the first considerations in choosing a marking technique. In short, I think anything that involves a chemical application should be washed out at the end of its useful life (i.e., when your quilt is quilted and bound).
Lisa A
I too like to wash my quilts when finished. I also throw my quilts in the dryer on a lower setting (crossed hex fingers!!), and if still a little damp lay it out on a bed to finish drying. But, I like the washed, crinkly look.
Virtual Quilter
Love your last step … and washing might be useful in getting rid of marks, but also gets rid of dust and body oils which a quilt gathers during the making process.
Peggy
I totally agree with the washing step. No one can predict what those chemical marking pens might do to the fabric over time. And body oils from hand handling the fabric either for that matter.
This was a great tutorial Lori!
Divya Dill
Hi Lori! I use the Pilot frixion Pen ever. But I have two Problems with that. The first one is that this pen is too much expensive here in Brazil (about $12 one pen) and it´s hard to find it at the markets. The second is the light trace that remains. I didn´t know I could wash my quilts. In fact I really don´t know how to wash my quilts without causing damages to them. Any suggestion? Thanks!
Sue Cox
Like Marilyn, I have used the Crayola washable markers.
Lots of colors, and they wash out. Their cheap!
I just bought a Bohin White chalk mechanical marking pencil (extra fine) for my fmq “rails” and really haven’t put it to the test.
It has its own eraser. Paid $10.49 for it from Amazon.
Hope it’s good for that price. It’s French – ;o)
Katelyn @ Sing While Crafting
I use the frixion pens ALL of the time. I love them. However…I have always wondered what would be good to use on darker fabrics. I have the clover chalk, but haven’t tried it yet. Thanks SO much for this info!
glenda tatti
I have recently begun to use the frixion pens and find them great. Use them for my quilt top marking without problem as I live in a warmer climate.
the one thing that I have had a lot of trouble with is the sewline ceramic mechanical pencil. The black lead colour does not erase off light colour fabrics. Have tried lots of differnt erasers and
I even got a toothbrush and some pure soap onto it with no luck. Ruined quilt. Whilst I love the fineness of the traced line, I only use the Sewline pencil now for back of fzbric things.
Mary
I like the F & P white ceramic pencil for dark fabrics and the Flexion pen for light fabric. I would like to know where to get 5 Flexion pens for 12.00 my LQS charges 4.00 for one pen.
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hoperice
I use a Generic brand of Magic Eraser to get rid of loose chalk as well as the Bohn mechanical chalk pencil marks and it works like a champ!
I am using Bic lead pencils (apparently Bic has an easier to remove lead). I saw a YouTube video with Jamie Wallen. He uses Bic pencils for marking light fabrics and suggested using a precision oil bottle (the little bottle with the metal tip– or a syringe with dull needle) filled with Sew Clean. He just runs the Sew Clean right on the line and it comes off without having to scrub. I haven’t tried it myself, but he seemed adamant that it works well
Anne Marcellis
Opps-thanks for showing all the options, Lori.
Anne Marcellis
I heard something about Pilot Frixion Pens. If you are mailing your quilt to a quilt show, the quilt may get cold, especially if in the winter, and all those marks will show up just in time to be judged! Bummer. -didn’t know if you knew that. I had always heard about putting them in a freezer, but who does that?
Susan Spencer
For hand quilting on light fabrics, I usually go back to a fine line mechanical or #2 pencil, which removes easily with OxyClean. I took a machine quilting class with Jill Schumacher, who recommends the blue line markers. My favorite, though, for multicolored quilts, are the fine line Crayola Washable markers–I was able to mark a king-sized sampler quilt with them, and used all 8 colors in the pack (after testing, of course) and they washed out beautifully.
Mary Grass
Wow, this is been a great tutorial and discussion………. DOES ANYONE USE THE BOHIN (chalk) PEN? It has an eraser on the end and it does a great job even on dark fabric. I bought it at a quilt shop about 4 years ago for $11.99. it comes with extra lead as well. The package name is “Bohin” and underneath is the word France.
terri414cb
I have tried all of the “pens” you listed above. I hand quilt and usually use the Sew Line markers for that since they make thin lines. When I’m marking on fabric for cutting, etc. I use Chaco liners which I’m totally crazy about. I use Dritz Marking Pens when I can’t see lines because other markers don’t show up. It leaves a thick line that you can see, even though you’ve tried the same colors in a thin point.
I appreciate all of the terrific advice from you, Lori, and the comments. It’s a wealth of information. I have just bought Frixion pens, but will use them with caution from what I’ve read here.
utahoosier
I like the purple one, but only if I’m going to quilt it very soon. Have waited too long and lost my markings with that one before. I like it because I don’t have to worry about removing the markings. It takes care of that itself. However, if it’s dark fabric I’m marking, or purple (haha!) I use the chalk. Again–easy to remove. I really like those blue markers, but sometimes that stuff is dang hard to get out and that frustrates me.
Debby
Thank you – this is awesome!!!
Tweela
I have most of these products and, like several other quilters, use them all for different projects. My favorite “go tos” seem to be the Frixion pens, the Fons and Porter mechanical pencils (both colors) and the Clover white marking pen. I haven’t had any problems with permanent marks or bleaching so far!
Vicki Knepp
If I am using a stencil to mark I like to use pounce powder with a foam paint brush. I keep the powder in a repeatable baggie. Just dip the brush in the powder and apply directly to the stencil. It gives a nice crisp line and does not waste powder.
annieofbluegables
Oh yes. The Crayola washable markers were insanely hard to get out. Luckily all these were just on sample fabric.
Sharon
When using the Frixion pens on dark fabrics, the gel turns white when touched with an iron making it easy to see. Applying steam is supposed to get rid of the marks but it didn’t work for me. It did remove with washing the fabric. I love the Frixion pens for the light fabrics but prefer marking with chalk on dark fabrics. I used a black Frixion pen to mark quite heavily on an orange batik and all marks disappeared easily.
annieofbluegables
I’m so glad for this nice post, Lori. My experence is this: I guess it depends on the fabric. My FriXion marks stayed in after steam AND laundering. Also my Clover marker didn’t even last one quilt. It had dried up by the time I tried it.
Clarice Dean
I like the Dritz cartridge set the best, especially the sharpener! The available colors work on most fabrics. However, my go to pens are the Frixion pens when working with light colors. Fantastic to use with white fabrics, then I don’t have to worry about the “trace” white mark that remains when the color is steamed out. I’ve found that it is much better to steam out the marking rather than iron the marks out. I’ve noticed that the trace white that remains is harder to remove when the fabric is ironed. If you iron you may have to submerge the fabric to remove the trace.
lavonne
appreciate the review. Now I am leery of the Frixion pens. I have a lot of batik. I happen to like soap too. Since liquid soap came along, I just happen to be left with a stash of Ivory soap bars. Linda – thanks for the homemade Shout. I use a lot of it. Wonderful blog – never miss a email link.
Linda M
I like F&P mechanical chalk pencil and the clover Pen Style Chaco Liner white only. Had problems getting the yw out and is still there. Sometimes I use a #5 mechanical pencil lightly. This will erase out also can use “Shout” with tooth brush. ( yesterday at Sr quilting a lady gave me a bottle of homemade “Shout” fake remover…equal parts of water, Whisk and ammonia) When I have a fancy pattern I will trace it onto “press and seal” then it tears out at the end. Note do not trace pattern with black especially onto white background using the press and seal. The black magic marker pen will embed into the quilt.
Jean Garces
Yes, I also use Press ‘N Seal wrap for my quilting designs. Just trace your design onto the Press ‘N Seal and place it on your quilt. Sew on the lines, the wrap will pull off easily.
Anne Oppegard
I tried P&S once … Then spent way too much time picking remnants of the product out of the stitch line.
Barb E., Highlands Ranch, CO
Thank you so much for your input on the perennial question of best markers. I think I have most of them, but I really love a thin sliver of soap. Washes right out. I have the Crayola washable markers, but I’m afraid to use them! LOL! Now, if you could tell us your favorite method of transfering a pattern to fabric. These are all topics that stump me. Love your blog.
Lisa A
I also like the Sewline marker, I think it’s a ceramic chalk? I have white and pink leads, which have worked well on most fabrics—3 graduation and 1 wedding quilt done in the past 4 months!! What I don’t like is that the leads tend to break with too much pressure. When the lead gets too short, my pen doesn’t want to advance it so there’s maybe 5 mm or so waste each time. Marks come out completely when I wash the finished quilt. Heat will set the lines I think, so don’t iron over them. But the advantages outweigh the disadvantages and I’ll continue to use it.
Paula from Alaska
Last fall I attended a major long arm quilting show. In three of the classes I took, I was warned NOT to use the Pilot Frixion pens by three different industry leader quilters. Apparently not only do the markings return in the cold, but they may also cause fabric deterioration over time. While I have not used these pens, thought I’d just pass along some info I learned about them. I’m with Lori, I have a couple different chalk markers that are my go to markers, including a F & P which does break a lot. Going to try the Dritz when I get to town next time! Gave up on the blue markers drying out a long time ago too! Thanks Lori and readers for a great discussion!
Roxanne
I would not recommend the Frixion pens for batiks, they will leave a permanent white line on those. At least that is what I have found. Unless someone else has found a way to get them out.
Phyllis
Use the Frixon pens most of the time. Also Fons and Porter markers. The blue marker only if the project will be worked on soon since the marks disappear and the work starts all over. Sometimes I sew through paper designs if the design is complicated.
Theresa Sanders
I was marking a quilt that was all batiks with varied colors.i used “the ultimate Pounce Pad”. It took awhile for the pad to be saturated with chalk, but once it was, it worked really well on the medium to dark colors. Not so great on light. But the beauty of it is that it disappears with a pass of the iron. Has anyone else tried this? I had trouble getting it going without a cloud of white dust! It comes in blue and pink too, but those have to be washed out.
Judith
My blue marker dried out before I got to use it.
I’ve been using the Sewline and Fons and Porter markers. I like them, although they do break easily.
Don’t forget the Hera marker. Marks by making a fine crease in the fabric, which comes out of cotton like any other wrinkle. It comes in 2 sizes. I like it. No chemicals.
Shirl
I like the Hera marker. Not a problem with it. Once it is under the machine you can see it clear as a bell. I sometimes use my fingernail to mark a spot where I need to stop or start sewing. Same principle. Once I let a fellow quilter use my Hera marker for a denim project and it wore the edge away. I have tailors chalk from the drycleaners and it works great too. No wax in it. Great information.
Ness
I laughed at your “dry!” can’t tell you how many did that to me through the years… so frustrating!!!. I have the same stash as your pic minus the soapstone. I’m still leary on the Frixon…use it more with embroidery than I do sewing. The chalks are still my fave…clover yellow I love, easy to see and I have never had a problem getting it off. Shows up good on everything but yellow…haha! I need to go through and figure out which of my Frixons are dry also…they don’t last long and I have several each color cuz I kept picking a new one to keep lines dark.
Someone mentioned a tailor’s chalk square…I’m going to check one out I think.
Thanks for the run down. 🙂
Joyce Bardern
I like the Frixion pen a lot. My own experience is that the marks come out with heat, or laundering. On laundered items the marks do not return even when the piece is put into the freezer! My favorite, though is chalk.
Cheri Barker
Be careful with the fixion pens if you are making 1/2 square triangles or anything else that requires setting seams then cutting…setting your seams will wipe out the lines, even when you are careful to keep the iron off of and away from the lines.
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