Tools of the Trade

And now for something completely different… tools!

Marking the quilting lines on the French Braid quilt got me thinking about trying different tools to get that job done.  Add to that, the upcoming Grand Illusion mystery that I know will require some marking of the pieces, and I know I need to branch out. 

Currently, I use either the PrimsaColor Verithin silver metallic pencil,

or a regular Mirado Black Warrior pencil (used lightly) to mark lines.

The issue I have is that you need to constantly sharpen the point on either pencil, as the fabric smooths out the lead too much to mark a line. Kind of a pain when I get on a roll.

I have tried the Sewline Fabric Pencil – not a huge fan, unless they redesigned it for better access when the lead breaks or jams. 

I just checked their website and discover they have a whole page dedicated to how to use it, that didn’t exist before (I’ve looked), which leads me to believe others have voiced their opinion on this issue.  I’ll dig mine out & see what’s what. But the line it produces is not the best for me.

I have purchased a set of 6 FriXion pens in assorted colors, 0.5mm extra fine tip,  to try them out.  If you haven’t heard about these pens, the ink is formulated to disappear with heat. I’ve read some good reviews from other users, so I’ll give them a try. Observing some general ‘Be Careful how & when you use these pens’ warnings.

I’m also going to check out General’s white pastel chalk pencils.  The Grand Illusion quilt has black in the fabric line up, so I want to be prepared!  Nothing is worse than not having good tools on hand when you need them!  They don’t have to be fancy – they need to work the way you need them to work.

It will be interesting to discover the different uses for these new tools.