Pilot FriXion Clicker Erasable, Refillable & Retractable Gel Ink Pens, Fine Point, Assorted Color Inks, 7 Count (Pack of 1) (31472)

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Frixion pens sometimes leave a ghost mark after steaming. This is the thermo ink showing on the quilt, not the gel. The Pilot rep said to rid the piece of ghost marks you would need to treat it with the ink removers listed above. It has a fine nib and is easy to use, meaning you can mark accurately for better results when sewing. We have not had decades of time to learn whether the Frixion chemicals, designed for use on paper, will affect the fabric. There may be no change whatsoever or the inks-on-fabric may experience an unexpected change. Nobody knows. Only time will provide the answers. I know many people who use Crayola Ultra Clean Washable Markers, but the only color you don’t ever want to use is the orange marker. If you use the orange marker it won’t wash out completely & will leave a faint yellow mark. For me, I will not use these pens very often because I frequently do competition pieces. I cannot risk having any problems with the marking method I use. I think they are great pens for other marking needs but we need to be aware of their limitations. And remember that the Pilot pen company did not design these pens for fabric.

I know of a person who filled out some paperwork with a Frixion pen, and gave the papers to someone else. Of course she left them in a hot car, not knowing what could happen. Oh no! It’s blank! So the author re-wrote the paper, not knowing that the freezer would solve this issue. I do think we need to continue to pass the word about the “hazards” of using these pens. The PILOT company is strongly committed to preserving the environment. Frixion erasable pens are made with a minimum of 50% recycled plastic (except for consumables), and are refillable for more economical, long-lasting use. Another source of chemicals would are the brand of spray starch or fabric finishes used during the pressing process.

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I work in a quilt shop. I was first introduced to Frixion pens because they are an amazing tool for drafting patterns. I also learned the hard way that steaming Frixion ink set it. Which makes sense as we are told never to use heat on stains such as grass or blood or it will cause them to set. The last thing I want to do is stream (temperatures in excess of 220 degrees) pigment onto fabric. For this reason I have never told a customer to steam the ink. I tell customers to use a cool iron – nothing hotter than the silk/rayon setting on an iron (120 degrees). This will cause the ink to disappear without setting it. The ink will then wash out with regular laundry detergent on warm wash – just like most ink does. What do you use to mark fabric? There are a number of different ways, some more modern (and some more effective) than others: Thank you for your research. The information provided, and the comments / replies prove that this is a “hot button” (pun intended) for quilters! Tailor's chalk?In a variety of colors, doesn't make a very sharp line, can be a bugger to then try to remove it without washing. Drop it on the floor and it can break. Tends to drag the fabric as you mark I find. But it's been used for years in all the best tailoring establishments and many still love it. It might even come as standard in your beginner sewing kits.

Sometimes they left what I call a “ghost” mark after steaming the initial mark away. It was faint, but certainly not something you would want to see on your quilt. As to the ghost marks, I did not find a pattern as to which fabrics would show the marks. Some say that if you pre-wash your fabrics you won’t get those marks. That was not the case for me. So I had to test on any fabric I wanted to use them on to make sure I would not be left with ghost marks after steaming the ink marks away. This is my fourth and hopefully my final post on Frixion pens. A recent discussion on FaceBook prompted me to explore this one last time. Some prominent quilters and artists have said things about the Frixion pens that I have not found to be true in my own experience, so I needed to get the facts. I ended up talking directly with a rep at Pilot to get the facts. Frixion pen

#4 Are FriXion products safe for children?

If you’re not familiar with Frixion pens, they are a line of pens and highlighters made by Pilot that are heat erasable. Frixion pens make a crisp, clear mark which goes on smoothly and easily with no skipping. After quilting, you simply steam the ink lines away and poof, they are gone! This seems like the Holy Grail of marking methods for us quilters. It is important to note that Pilot did not design the pens for fabric and did not test them on fabric while developing the concept. As a side note, the quilts I make are not for competition, they are for snuggling under, the clothing I make is for wearing, and as such are laundered just as anyone would regularly launder an item (I doubt most people would even know where to by Quilt Soap). Even if you write with a heavy hand and create indents on the paper, FriXion ink will disappear so long as heat is able to reach it. The “erased” sections can be written over and “erased” as many times as needed. I'm sure it was never intended to be marketed to sewers, but now you'll be seeing these popping up in sewing rooms all over the world. Maybe you remember the original erasable writing pens from the 80's called Erasermate. It felt like magic at the time, ink that you can rub away, but in all honesty, they were pretty rubbish. They never did write very well to begin with so no wonder they were so easy to rub off. With a 0.7mm medium tip, Frixion Ball erasable ink pens offer precise lines and smooth, fluid writing. Boasting a grip, the ergonomic pen offers a comfortable hold. The cap has a handy clip allowing you to clip it to papers and notebooks and bring it everywhere with you.

We sometimes take for granted just how often we need and use pens in our daily lives and the moment you desperately need one, there never seems to be one to hand. Our exciting WHSmith range encompasses thousands of styles and pen types so you need never be without one again. If you’re a dedicated handwriting aficionado, browse our selection of stylish fountain pens from Parker fountain pens to LAMY, Cross and Caran d'Ache for the ultimate writing experience. For those destined to scribble on every paper surface available, our selection of ballpoint pens, rollerball pens and gel pens are easy to use and beautifully designed.The marks will reappear if the quilt gets cold (anything below freezing I think-I did not confirm the specific temperature) unless the mark is completely removed with an ink remover. Even after a thorough steam of the marks, they will reappear in the cold. This is part of the inherent chemistry of the ink combination. I do not know whether anyone else mentioned this, but we also have “other chemicals” that could be interacting with the inks – these would be waxes and any treatment used on batiks to easily lift the wax after the dye is applied, the chemicals in the dyes, the chemistry of our water in the area where we live – perhaps this water element is THE key contributing factor that affects the ability of some quilters to remove the ink when laundering and others who saw no difference after laundering. I have since used it successfully to remove ink stains and marks both old & new from many different fabrics.

So I was off to find it which I did at my local Lowe’s. I raced home to try it on my quilt. I was very wary but was thrilled when the marks were completely removed from my quilt. No ring, no shadow, no damage to the fabric, batting etc. We also saw that some ink pens or markers, over time, could actually cause the fabric fibers to weaken and break down. Remember the reports of the mordants used in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s to set natural dyes for longer-lasting colors or to create the “rustle” in silks. Over time those very silk fabrics are now disintegrating, crumbling away from the clothing or crazy quilts? For an in-depth look at chemical dyes and mordants, the history of fabric dyeing and printing is covered thoroughly by researchers. Here are links to two noteworthy articles: Frixion pens combine gel ink and thermo ink. You are marking your quilt with a gel pen that disappears. There are few tools in the sewing room that could be called life-changing, but Hallelujah for the Frixion Pen! OK so maybe that's a little over the top but I love these pens so much I just can't stop talking about them. Whenever I recommend a fabric marker for one of my projects, I'll always link out the these sweeties. Jenny thanks for the great article, my experience with Frixion pens found everything you said to be true.Well.. Thanks Tonya’s MOM.. you just saved my 9″ x40″ cotton quilt banner that I made for a little boys quilt.. I embroidered a Barn, Semi. and the John Deere tractor with the hay wagons pulling all the letters of the little boys name. Now the erasable pen has new technology and is perfect for the sewing room. The Frixion gel pen comes in a wide range of colors, writes beautifully just like a regular roller-ball pen, and can be used on fabrics as well as all the other usual surfaces. So in summary, straight from the manufacturer’s mouth so to speak, a summary of using the Frixion pens on fabric: