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The Best Marking Pen

January 31, 2012

best marking pen for quilting or embroideryI love having a little ink to guide me in my craft projects. I use them all the time, from simple things like where a button goes to complex illustrations that I plan to cover with needlework. I’ve used a lot of them and, without a doubt, the Pilot FriXion Ball Pen Pilot Frixon Pen, the very best marking pen! is my favorite.

What do I love about them? First of all, it’s a pen with a nice, fine tip. Not a big felt tipped marker. That allows me to get all the detail I need with no problem. The ink doesn’t rub off like chalk pencils and I never have to wait for my piece to dry because I had to dowse it in water to get rid of my lines.

The ink in these pens is removed with friction- there’s a nice little rubber tip that you can use to rub on your line to make it disappear. What’s better, if you think back to your high school science classes you’ll remember that friction creates heat. Lucky us, this little detail gives us even more options to rid project of guide lines. The ink will disappear instantly with a touch of a hot iron. Or, when you’re completely finished with all the lines on your projects you can stick it in your dryer for a minute and all of them will be gone when it comes out. I love it!

Still not convinced?  Sometimes I trust reviews more when they point out the flaw of the product along with all the raving.   I have only two small complaints. First, the pens don’t work on black fabric- as far as I know they don’t make one with white ink and obviously red ink doesn’t show up too well on black.  Second,  you’ll always want to test the pen on your chosen fabric before starting. On some fabrics, after the ink has disappeared you’ll see a small impression left behind. Most of the time this can only be seen when holding the fabric up to a light, sometimes not even then. But every once in a while a fabric comes along that leaves a little more of a mark. It’s never been enough to dissuade me, but if I were making a very special item (such as a christening gown or an item for a bride) I’d want to double check with my fabric before I put all that work in!

You can get these guys in most quilting shops, but I’ve found they are much cheaper on online. (I bought my first one at a quilt store for about $7, then found a pack of 3 for the same price!) Here are a couple good links-

Frixon 3 pack Pilot Frixon Pen, the very best marking pen!
FriXion 8 pack with all the colors you’ll ever need! Pilot Frixon Pen, the very best marking pen!

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Comments

  1. Rachelle Smith says

    September 1, 2013 at 10:58 pm

    I’ve recently tried these pens and really like them as well. One complaint, they don’t work well on canvas type fabrics. I think it was osnaburg that I was trying to trace out an embroidery pattern on & it just wouldn’t write nicely. I used my cheap little “mark b gone” pen and that worked great!

    Reply

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  1. Free Valentine’s Day Heart Pillow Tutorial | Sweetbriar Sisters Blog says:
    February 20, 2012 at 11:19 pm

    […] out our heart pillow pattern, cut out the heart and trace it with a removable marking pen right where you want it on your pillow […]

    Reply

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Instagram post 2321314328934193695_417393240 Did you know that ladies during the Regency Era often wore a shawl because the breezy empire waist gowns they wore were a little chilly? ⁣
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I've been having so much fun adding historical details to this project. I love the idea of history seeping into a child's mind through play.⁣
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In a period of about 15 years we went from Marie Antoinette style gowns with huge, structured skirts, to these breezy gowns that might (gasp!) show your silhouette if a breeze came in.⁣
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To the younger generation they were progressive. Napoleon's wife was the one who made the style popular and because of her influence it symbolized a new way of thinking. (Marie Antoinette's way of thinking was, after all, proven slightly ineffective.) ⁣
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I bought the exact model she uses for her work and I will never go back! For the first time I feel like my hot gluing can be clean and precise. It's amazing what a difference having the right tool can make.
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Instagram post 2316180582466133425_417393240 The bonnets are finished and I'm off to work on top hats and cravats. Because we definitely need a Mr. Darcy Rabbit.
Instagram post 2315017019194132946_417393240 The next Jane Austen play set tutorial is up and running on our blog!⁣
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