7/29/15

I knew I'd do this eventually

I have used blue washout marker in my quilts for years.  And, all along, I've known that heat would permanently set that ink.  And, I've been sooooo careful.  I wouldn't even leave a quilt I had used washout marker on in the car, for fear the heat would set it, until the quilt had been thoroughly washed.

I was very careful.

But, this morning, I pulled a center off the Dresden Plate quilt, and it had been quilted through before.  It was one of the centers that let me know I was going to have to pull the centers off the quilt and cut away the background fabric to get my stitches the size I wanted them to be.  Anyway, I picked out the quilting, pulled off the center, and it was so wrinkled, I decided to iron it.  I could not see the blue washout ink, but it was there.  And, when it got hot, it came back.


It's very faint.  You might have to blow up that pic to see it.  But, it's there.  And, now, it's never coming out.

Here is the block it came out of.





Fortunately, I have plenty of that fabric to cut a new center from. 

So, there's today's lesson.  Just because you can't see the danger, doesn't mean it won't come back when exposed to heat. 

Seems very logical for summer.  It's supposed to be 100* out today. 

Everybody have a great Wednesday. 

Lane

5 comments:

lw said...

Glad you have extra fabric! But I'm still going to look for a way to remove it.

lw said...

So you have a perfect opportunity to try to remove those blue lines. Here's the top three contenders for getting the residual blue marks out that I found: Carbona carpet cleaner on a toothbrush; a 5:2 solution of water and vinegar; and my personal favorite, direct sunlight. Apparently the blue marks do not like sunlight. At 100 degrees outside today, I think that would be my first choice.

Barb H said...

You never know with blue marker and how it'll come out. I once used it on a red fabric and it stained. Then I read the package where it states to test it first on reds! The quilt was finished and ready to be given away, so I tried everything to get those marks out. Nothing! Then I threw it in the washer, hoping for the best, and when it was washed and dried--stain gone! I hope you can get that blue stain out--maybe it needs a good, hard washing!

JohninKent said...

Try using a purple marker. The ink in these pens evaporate completely within a day or two, depending on humidity conditions. I once did a few Greek goddess costumes, you know, draped white poly charmeuse. The final fitting on the ladies looked great, except they were literally purple because of the over-use of the purple marker. Two days later they were a pristine white, not a trace of the marker. So give it a try, just remember that the ink will disappear within a day, so work fast. Also, they can be cost prohibitive, so I get them with 50% off Joann coupons, or order several at a time from WAWAK sewing supplies.

Hope this helps!

Rebecca Grace said...

Oh, NO!!!! Thank goodness you had more of that fabric! Nightmare narrowly averted! :-)