🧽 The Vanishing Act: Marking Tools That (Actually) Work for Appliqué
If you’ve ever watched your appliqué lines disappear before you even cut the fabric—or worse, never disappear after you’ve stitched—you’ve met the magic (and madness) of marking tools.
Here’s the lowdown on what to use, when to use it, and how to avoid the dreaded ghost marks.
✍️ Marking Tools That Won’t Mess With You
✅ Air-Erasable Markers
- Good for: Quick projects or designs you’ll cut and stitch the same day (or within a few days).
- Disappears: In 12–24 hours (sometimes faster in humidity!).
- Watch out: Don’t mark all your pieces in advance—these lines may vanish while you grab a snack.
- Caution: May become permanent if ironed.
✅ Water-Erasable Markers
- Good for: Detailed work or designs you’ll keep around longer.
- Erases with: A dab of water. Don’t go wild—just a damp Q-tip will do.
- Pro tip: Test before using on red or hand-dyed fabrics—some may bleed.
✅ Chalk Pencils (White or Yellow)
- Good for: Dark fabrics.
- Bonus: Easy to brush off or erase with a damp cloth.
- Caution: Can rub off too soon if you’re handling the fabric a lot. Also, verify they don’t use wax in the chalk formula.
✅ Hera Markers
- Good for: Folding lines, not tracing templates.
- What it does: Creases the fabric for a temporary line—no ink involved.
- Best used on: Solid or light fabrics (creases are hard to see on prints).
❌ Tools to Avoid for Appliqué
🚫 Frixion Pens
- Sounds great (heat-erased!) until the ghost lines come back when your quilt gets cold.
- Fine for marking cutting lines on the back of fabrics—but not for anything visible.
- Just… don’t. Not on your heirlooms.
🎯 Final Tip: Always Test First
Even your most trusted marker can misbehave on certain fabrics. Try it on a scrap first. It’s a small step that saves big regrets.
“Mark my quilt… Let me count the ways.
Wait—I don’t want the marks to be permanent!”
How do you add non-permanent marks to your quilt? I’ve got you. There are several clever ways—it all depends on your fabric, your purpose, and how you plan to remove those marks.
✨ Other Options
🟣 Washi Tape
Perfect for quilting or sewing straight lines. You can also use it to outline simple shapes and templates.
🟡 Freezer Paper
Stick it to the front side of your fabric for topstitching or echo quilting. It peels off easily and can be reused several times.
🟢 Tissue Paper or Temporary Stabilizers
Pin in place to quilt through, then tear or soak away when finished. Great for detailed or repeated motifs.
We hope you found this useful!
Happy quilting
Laureen