Thanks for the tips everyone. I will pass them to to Jane for you.

Lilo

I only use the spray starch for making circles, but I always wash my quilts when completed.

Lilo,

There is a new product available that does not attract bugs, it also does not flake, is acid free, leaves no residue, smells wonderful and makes fabric soil-resistant. It's "Mary Ellen's Best Press. I have the lavender and citrus and like both. It can be hard to find. I had my LQS order it for me. Mary Ellen also has a web site, but the shipping was quite high!

WandaM

TQSWizard wrote:
I've heard that it will both attract insects and cause yellowing, so I've always washed my finished quilts. Besides, I want my quilts to be soft! But I definately like the control that starch gives me during the construction of a quilt!

Hi everyone,

Jane Davidson has a question for all of you spray starch applique lovers:

I have been using spray starch to help with accuracy of my piecing. Will spray starch attract insects if the fabric is stored for a period of time or will it yellow?

Can you give her help?

Thanks,

Lilo

I use the crayola washable markers to mark the gather lines when I do tie-dye. The color usually is gone after the soda ash soak. I use the blue and green ones first. I feel more sure that they will wash out. I have not had any problems with the red and orange but I like to find something to worry about. Just be sure to try it on every fabric before you make a big ol' mark that may require an applique over the top. Betty Ann In Sunny Florida

Hi Carol! I, too, have used the Crayola WASHABLE markers for years, and (knock wood) have never had trouble washing them out. It looks like everyone treats them a little differently, but after my quilt is bound, I just SOAK IT IN COLD WATER for about 15 minutes, spin the water out of the washer, then wash the quilt with gentle detergent in warm water. I use Orvis Paste for my quilts. I get it at the Farmer's Co-op in a 7-1/2 pound jug that lasts forever!!! It is a biodegradeable soap created for washing livestock (think 4-H shows) and pets (dog/cat shows) that rinses out well. I think it is similiar to the pricey quilt soaps sold in fancy jars at the quilt shops, but lots more economical.
Hope that helps!
SEW LONG!
Margo

Thank you for the input! I will give the markers a try. Sounds like they are a good deal.

The crayola markers are great. I've never had a problem with them not washing out. I always wash my quilts before I send them out. I just wash them like everything else: cold water, normal cycle, med heat to dry. The price is right!
Sherry

I discovered the Crayola Washable Markers about a year ago, and I think they're just great. I've marked several full sized quilts with them and all the markings came out in the wash. I always let my finished quilt soak overnight in cold water with a little soap. It's kind of scary when you first use them and have orange or red or green markings all over everything, but the marks DO come out.

Besides being so economical, I love all the colors you can get. I do a lot of scrap quilts, so I need lots of colors to show the marked quilt pattern in various parts of the quilt.

If you have any doubts, mark up a few fabric samples using all the various colors, let them sit for a few days then wash. The markers are so inexpensive (around $2 in Wal-Mart), that it's not a big investment to do an experiment. Have fun!

Hi all, I can't recall which thread it was in, but I think that Margo mentioned using Crayola markers. You might want to check with her.

Have a great week, Sharon in TN (quiltnlady)

I posted over the weekend that I had marked my March BOM using Crayola markers after getting the idea from another member who had posted about using them on one of the forums (I think).

I always tests the different fabrics I am marking with the Crayolas first but so far the markings have come out of all the fabrics. I have found the fabric has to be very wet though unlike the blue pens that you can just spray. This is not a problem for me because I always wash my blocks before I start quilting and my quilt after I get through quilting and I do mark quilting design with Crayola markers.

I have never pressed the fabric before removing the markings so I don't know if heat will set it in like it does sometimes with the blue markers. Key is to test first but I love the Crayola markers.

In looking through the blogs this morning, one of the members mentioned using Crayola Removable markers to transfer an applique pattern on the block. I am wondering how easy it is to remove the marks - can they be spritzed with water or must they be washed out? Could that method be used for marking a quilttop with the quilting patterns? In the past, I have used the "blue" marker many times without incident, but that is an expensive item anymore and they don't seem to last. Thanks for your input!