Wednesday, May 18, 2011

A Word About Frixion Gel Pens for Marking Quilts

Just returned from Quilt Market in Salt Lake City.  One of the hot new items was the Pilot Frixion Gel Pens for marking quilts because you can iron away the marks.  However, if you look closely, the advertising says that the marks turn clear when heated to over 140 degrees. "Turning clear" is not the same thing as "comes out of the fabric".  The fine print also says that the marks reappear at temperatures below 14 degrees.

I consulted with an award winning machine quilter, and she had already tested the pens.  She ironed them away, stuck the fabric in the fridge, and the marks came back.  Re-ironed the marks away, stuck the fabric in the fridge, and the marks still came back.  She also tried washing out the marks, but they still keep coming back.  Now if you live in the heat of the desert, the marks are less likely to come back than if you live in Minnesota or even up here in Lake Tahoe where 14 degrees is not uncommon in the winter.

Keep in mind that these pens were not originally designed to use on fabric.  They are great fun to use on paper.  Something else to consider is what the marks may do to your quilt over time.  Remember, we make our quilts to last a long time. So if the marks are really still there, just "turn clear", is that really what you want on your heirloom quilt?

I would love to hear what you think of this product..
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2 comments:

  1. Sher S.March 8, 2014 at 5:09 PM

    I use these for doing redwork and then stitch over the pen marks. So far no problem with them. But thanks for this info, I'll keep that in mind when getting to quilt my blocks.

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  2. Pat AllenMarch 8, 2014 at 5:19 PM

    I like to use these for marking the diagonal lines when making HST; may have to rethink how, or if I will use these in the future. thank you for the info.

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