Ever since I got my new light table, I considered my embroidery process to be 100% optimized. I was, as usual, wrong.
The sticking point this time: my tracing tools. Since day one, I’ve been using a marker with water-soluble ink to trace on most of my designs. This worked fine. It did the job, but sometimes the marks would come back and I’d have to rinse the fabric a few times. Plus, I had to account for drying time. Overall, though, it worked OK.
Then I started hearing rumblings of a pen that erased with heat. I was intrigued. This pen is just a regular erasable pen from Pilot. I scoffed. How could a pen not designed for fabric be good for fabric? The fools that use that!
So for months and months (years?), I avoided the Pilot Frixion craze because I didn’t think it was craft-worthy. I also didn’t want to gamble with this in case it made permanent marks. Yes, even though sometimes my water-soluble pen would occasionally leave permanent stains. I am a genius.
Finally, though, I saw the Pilot Frixion at Michaels. Armed with a 40% coupon, I grabbed a pack. If they were a bust, at least I’d only be out a few bucks.
After letting them hang out in my purse for a few weeks, I finally worked up the nerve to give these pens a try. I scribbled on a scrap of light colored fabric. I ironed over it quickly expecting some sort of faint mark. Nope. The ink was totally gone after just one pass. I was proven wrong (very common).
It’s been a few weeks since that little experiment and I am 100% on-board with this new tool. The old pens? Well, they’re gathering dust. And these new ones are my favorite stitching trick. (Not to mention they’re great for sewing, too!)
You can grab these pens just about anywhere. I snagged mine at Michaels, but you can get a better deal right at Target.
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