Hidden Threads

If you plan on quilting, you are going to need a marker sooner or later. The more quilts you make, the more you’ll appreciate owning the right marker for the job.

Basic Markers

I’m always on the lookout for a good marker. I draw a cutting line on fabric when I use complicated templates, mark my quilting lines with chalk, and use wash away markers to make registration lines on multi-piece appliqué designs. I also have a number of permanent black markers, fine-line if you please, because my eyesight isn’t getting any better.

I have a hera marker to crease fabric when I’m concerned about staining; it has a sharp tip that makes a visible line but doesn’t harm the fabric. This is my favorite kind of mark because there’s no chance of its leaving residue behind.

So, let’s see: permanent markers, wash away markers, chalk markers, creasing markers, oh, and air-markers that just fade away. That about does it.

So There’s a Marker for Everything, Right?

It sounds like there’s a marker for everything, but that’s just not so. Markers are problematical because they are colored, and their lines and marks often get lost in the patterns of multi-colored fabrics. Even the nifty way we’ve designed some markers to fade can be a pain when the marks disappear too soon. If you take the traditional route, using a wash out marker, you then have to launder, or at least saturate, the fabric to make sure you get all of the marks out. There’s no perfect marker.

Best Practice

Make sure you have an assortment of markers on hand, and use the one that lets you see your marks well against a particular fabric. When in doubt, try using them under different light conditions and test for good contrast. Computers have an undo feature, but fabric doesn’t, so be sure you can see your line clearly before you get out your scissors or rotary cutter.

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