Blue Marking Pen

Happy Holidays, all you quilters!

My baby is down and I am waiting for parts (not the best thing to happen at this time of year!) so I thought I would supply you with one of my tips this week. Many of you (mainly you applique-ers)  have asked how I get out those blue marks that are supposed to disappear simply by  wetting the quilt. I have found that water by itself does not always work, so this is what I discovered some time ago - I am not sure where, but I may have found this tip in one of Linda Taylor's books.

To 16 oz. of distilled water, add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. As you can see, I have this solution in a spray bottle to use as needed. I have yet to see this not work. I keep my spray bottle labeled with the formula, since so often my mind takes too long to wind its way around to what I am trying to remember.

Sometimes the marks are close to an area of possible bleeding fabric. (Red and purple are usually the worst, but if you are in doubt, test a sample of the fabric wherever possible by lightly dampening it and then blotting it with a white cloth. If there is any color on the cloth, it WILL bleed.)

 I try not to get to close to these areas with my original marking just to avoid any problems. However, when this is the case, I dampen a sponge with the solution and then  carefully dab at the blue marks. Do not go any closer than necessary to the suspect fabric to avoid any possible bleeding.

I hope this helps out some of you. In the meantime, I will try not to get too frustrated with my backlog while I am waiting for parts, and hope that when they do arrive, my husband and I will be able to get Louise going again!

Happy Quilting!!