After I posted last week about Flower Pounding, I received many questions concerning the color fastness of the poundings. I too was concerned about this and a number of the comments had some good suggestions (please scroll down to last week’s post and click on “comments” to read them). Then I did an internet search and the answers tended to all be the same – flower pounding is not colorfast. This site: http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/FAQ/flowerdye.shtml seemed to me to have the best insight into what to do!
This week’s post is about the Frixion™ pen I used when marking my quilting designs in my Memorial Quilt post from a few weeks ago. I did a posting about my favorite marking tools in 2010. To read that article click here. The Frixion™ pen is fairly new to the market. My biggest concern with marking my quilts is getting the markings off and making sure there is no residual effect. I have had 2 different quilts damaged because the marking method wouldn’t go away as promised.
The Frixion™ pen is supposed to come out with heat, so I drew a heart on a sample of the fabric in the quilt:
and ironed it with a cotton setting. The mark came out beautifully:
But was it really gone? I had heard that the mark comes back if you put the quilt in the freezer. So I put the sample in the freezer for 1 minute and …
there it was :-(. I am quite uncomfortable with marks that remain in the fabric because they could actually cause the fabric to deteriorate. So I decided to washed the sample and see what would happen. After washing it, I ironed it dry – so far so good – and then put it in the freezer again.
There was the slightest hint of the line at the left side of the point, but it’s barely there. I’m pretty sure that if I washed it again and used Orvus soap, it wouldn’t return. But I’m not positive. Then Joanne sent this comment to the “Memorial Quilt” post:
“Nice job with the memories. On a side note though. The last quilt meeting I attended (some months back) here in Appleton, WI the speaker told us a horror story about that frixion pen. A quilt was made using the frixion pen, lines were ironed out, quilt looked beautiful, sent north in winter to a quilt show, quilt arrives at show with all lines visible, quilt rejected, quilter devastated. So…the pen works but temps must remain above freezing or above whatever temp causes the lines to reappear. I guess I wouldn’t be so harsh as to completely get rid of the frixion pen, but I certainly wouldn’t use it anywhere that won’t be covered completely.”
Thanks Joanne. That was really some food for thought! Especially if you’re making fiber art with no intention of washing it.
Have you tried the Frixion™ pen? What are your thoughts?
What is your favorite marking tool? (mine is still the sliver of soap :-))
June says
Someone mentioned a product called ‘pounce’ – I think that’s what she said. Does anyone have experience with it?
clkquilt says
I’ve used the Pounce, and it works well with stencils, but I find it’s uses limited.
Hazel says
Timely info…I was about to get one….might not work so well in Alaska!
Lynn says
The lines not coming out has happened to me even after ironing and not even having to freeze:) I AM sending them to my grandkids to do whatever they want with them.
Thanks for looking into the flower
pounding. I would think that such things as walnut leaves would stay forever since you can’t get the juice stains out of your hands or driveway or. . . . Can you tell it is walnut season?
God bless you Chris and keep up your blogs, I enjoy them.
Lynn says
Oh No! I just bought 2 of them after recommended by the teacher at a quilt class. But I haven’t used them yet. I have had this problem with other marking tools and lost a job over it. Thanks so much for the testing report! Buyer beware.
Jackie Iannarelli says
I too have these pens in my supply of marking tools, a blue and black one. The pen that is my most favorite is the Bohn. I use the white marking lead but you can get color lead as well. It erases out or cold water takes it out too..
jowribbit says
I’ve tried different marking tools, but I always end up back with a plain old 8 pack of wide crayola washable markers. I do use soap bits for black or very dark fabrics though.
clkquilt says
I like the Crayola Washable Markers myself and have used them with good results.
Melede says
I have used the frixion pen many times. the marks usually come out easily. I live in Hawaii and don’t worry much about freezing temps. But I’ve found that the pens often take some of the color out of batik fabrics. When the lines are ironed out, they do disappear, but so does some of the color. It leaves behind a distinct faded line. always test!!!
Bernadette Martin says
And the sliver of soap is cheaper, especially if you go thru lots of hotels.