There's usually not much heat or humidity where I live, but this past week we've had high degrees of both. And in trying to cope with this, I've learned something about marking pens.

I sometimes use those purple, air-soluble markers. The marks usually last for two or three days, then disappear by themselves.

This week, I set up a fan aimed right at my sewing chair, and got out an air-soluble marker. Each time I drew a line on the fabric, it disappeared in just a few seconds! I could hardly get the lines into my machine before they disappeared! It was the fan, of course.

Now I know how to speed up the disappearing act, if I ever need to!

Anne in Vancouver, Canada, where it's been up to 34 degrees for the last five days, cooling down to "only" 30 degrees at night

Thanks ladies for your suggestions. I'm anxiously awaiting some stencils and, from your suggestions, I think I'll try pencil for my marking. I might start with blue marker, but we do have high humidity here--my unruly hair testifies to that!

BTW, I like to use a Pentel Techniclick 0.5 mechanical pencil. It makes a little lighter mark than a #2 pencil. Judy in Torrance

I have done both. If you have straight lines to quilt, you can use the appropriate width masking tape as a guide for quilting, and just move it to the next area when you're ready to quilt another line. This, of course, is done with the quilt sandwich already in the frame. When I use chalk, I mark it as I go, too. If you are using stencils, the washable blue markers can also mark well on a sandwiched quilt in the frame. I have even put the sandwiched quilt on a hard surface and used a pencil (lightly) to mark the design. I would stay away from the Crayola Washable Markers--I had a near disaster with them, although some people swear by them--Just a little personal caution from me. I think the only markers that will stay long enough to mark before sandwiching are a pencil and the washable blue marker. If you live in a high humidity area, though, the blue marker might disappear. I've had good luck with the blue marker. You just have to soak the quilt thoroughly in CLEAR water to remove the blue markings. Soap will set it. Hope some of this info helps. Judy in Torrance (who loves to hand quilt!)

Definitely before. Then you have a hard surface to mark on. Well, I guess that depends--are you quilting in a hoop? What marking tool are you using? Some substances rub off with constant rubbing from moving the quilt around, and then marking as you go might work better.
I usually mark with a #2 lead pencil, or silver pencil for dark colors, and those are best done on a hard surface.

I'd like to know which works best and/or is the most appropriate. I've finished my feathered star wallhanging top. I intend to handquilt it and am now ready to mark it. Some advice is to mark it before you make the sandwich and some say after. Which is best?