The marking tool I avoided for years

I avoided them for a long time. I had several different types of chalk I’d use depending on the project, like my mom taught me. One of the big reasons I stayed away was hearing how important it was to test the pens before using them, because they can stain some materials. That felt like a waste of time. I’d also heard the marks can come back in certain circumstances, which didn’t make me happy.

Well, you know what’s also a waste of time? Drawing something in chalk, accidentally brushing said chalk off the project, and redoing all that work. As for the marks reappearing, I can’t speak to it because it hasn’t happened to me yet.

How they work

You draw directly on your fabric or felt like a regular pen, and when you’re done, a quick press with the iron makes the marks vanish. That’s it. For felt projects like my little flower crown ghost, Boo-quet, that means you can draw a face on, sketch leaf shapes, or trace circles for spiral roses, and none of it shows on the finished piece.

The ones I keep coming back to

I’ve tried several brands, and the ones I return to time and time again are from Madam Sew. They make a set of four colors that comes with refills. I got mine on Amazon, but I’ve seen them in local quilt shops too. Four colors matters more than you’d think: a white or pink line on white felt is invisible, so you want options.

This design was sketched with a heat erase pen for easy removal.

Where I’d still reach for chalk

 When I’m working on delicate or unusual materials I always follow the “test on a scrap first” advice. And I use chalk if I’m marking something big, like curtains or a full skirt. If your project will live somewhere very cold, it’s probably smart to test. The reappearing-mark stories seem to come from cold places. For everyday felt and cotton crafting, though, these pens have fully replaced my chalk collection.

PUT ONE TO WORK

Draw a face on a ghost

Boo-quet, our flower crown ghost, is a perfect first project for a heat-erase pen: her face, her leaves, and her rose circles are all freehand-friendly, and every mark presses away when she’s done.