How to Mark Fabric: Choosing the Best Sewing Markers

Every sewist, whether a beginner or a professional, uses certain methods for marking fabric. Let's share – maybe beginners will find a more comfortable way? 😉

I have long been using a special fabric marking pen.

Markers come in water-soluble and air-erasable varieties, and can also be single-ended or double-ended.

To remove a water-soluble marker from fabric, you simply need to wash it. This is both a pro and a con – the marker stays on the fabric as long as you need, but washing takes time. I always wash and iron my items, so this is not a problem for me.

An air-erasable marker does not require washing – as you can tell from the name, it disappears on its own after a certain amount of time, which is indicated on the packaging. The downside is that the marker might disappear faster than you would like. 🙂

Whichever marker you buy, I HIGHLY recommend testing it on a scrap piece of the fabric you are using for your project before you start marking.

And one more thing. I haven't encountered this personally, but I've read reviews online saying that laundry detergent can sometimes cause the ink of an air-erasable marker to reappear.

If you have tried this marking method, please share your feedback and the brands of markers you use. 😉

Каждая швея, будь то новичок или профессионал, использует в работе те или иные способы нанесения разметки. Давайте поделимся – вдруг начинающим присмотрится какой—либо более комфортный способ? 😉

Я давно уже использую специальный маркер для работы по ткани.

Маркеры бывают водорастворимые и самоисчезающие, а еще – отдельные и двусторонние.

Для удаления водорастворимого маркера с ткани ее нужно попросту выстирать. В этом и плюс, и минус одновременно – маркер остается на ткани столько, сколько нужно, но стирка занимает время. Я всегда стираю и отглаживаю вещи, поэтому это не проблема.

Самоисчезающий же маркер не требует стирки – как вы поняли с названия, он исчезает сам по себе по прошествии определенного времени, указанного на упаковке. Минус – маркер может исчезнуть быстрее, чем вам бы того хотелось. 🙂

Какой бы маркер вы ни купили, ОЧЕНЬ советую проверить его на кусочке-пробнике ткани, из которой шьете изделие, до того, как нанесете разметку.

И еще момент. Я с таким не сталкивалась лично, но читала отзывы в интернете, мол, средство для стирки может проявить чернила самоисчезающего маркера.

Если вы пробовали такой способ нанесения разметки, поделитесь отзывами и марками-производителями своих маркеров. 😉

This German pen option is a bit pricey (the price is around 200-230 UAH), but for those who like it cheap and cheerful, I'm sharing the results of monitoring prices for such devices. Today I was at Aurora, such a pencil-pen with a set of 10 replaceable leads costs 12.99 UAH.

Wow, what a price difference 😕 The cheap option is probably Chinese? I'm always afraid of such super-cheap options. Even after thorough testing, it happens that the device lets you down: either the batches differ or storage conditions are violated. In any case, an interesting option - looks like a "write-erase" pen, only for fabric )) Thanks for the info! 👍

I use different tools. For pattern contours, I usually use chalk or a piece of soap. But for marking mirror lines, when cutting a piece with a fold, I use basting. I lay a basting stitch along the lines drawn with chalk or soap. Then on the mirror side of the piece, I draw a chalk line along the basting. Then I cut the threads. In principle, you don't have to draw mirror lines with chalk, just cut the basting - it will remain on the second half of the piece. But I feel calmer with the drawing.

The most foolproof options are grandma's )) Soap scrap for cutting and ordinary marking with contrasting thread for embroidery 😉

You probably sew the thread into the fabric. I don't do that myself, but I imagine how problematic it is to pick out the markings later - it's safe, but too much trouble. My friend, who is a pro at bead embroidery, advised using monofilament - fishing line, simply put - for marking cross-stitch. She says it pulls out much easier than regular sewing thread👍

What do you use to mark your fabric? Choosing the best method.

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