Recently I ran a video advertising Signature Quilts to preserve you or your loved ones wedding day. The video has been a great success, but with that success has come some concern with comments on the signatures fading over time. With this blog I would like to show you what I do so that the signatures will NOT fade. You must use the correct fabric and fabric pens to avoid the fading so here are some of the products I use in making the squares .
Here are the supplies I took to a resent baby shower were the guest all decorated and wrote messages to the baby on 6 inch prepared blocks. Continue to read to see what I use for the blocks and for the decorating of the blocks.
This is the fabric I prefer to use, it is
Moda’s Bella (PDF)
Generally speaking, a PFD item:
- Has had no optic whiteners added and is off-whit in color. The Bella I order from Moda Fabrics is usually more white than off white.
- Is sewn with cotton thread (so the stitching dyes the same color).
Not having any dye or bleach in the fabric make this the perfect fabric to use that will be dyed, painted, or signed. So the fabric pens dyes are not exposed to bleach or other chemicals so the dye does not fade or wash out. You do need to press the fabric once it has been signed to heat set the ink/dye. This is what really makes the dye part of the fibers of the fabric. This is great fabric for those special signature baby quilts because it doesn’t have the dyes or bleach in it that may irritate the babies skin.
Tee Juice Pen and Markers
These are THE BEST pens/ markers for decorating or writing on fabric. Tee Juice pens are usually found in art stores, not usually a quilt store. I obtain mine online or from Preston Arts Center, they are located in KY and are a wonderful company to work with and will ship to anywhere. The Tee Juice Pens were originally designed and used to decorate and draw on T-shirts. The owner of Preston Arts Center has a T-shirt that he has worn at least once a week for over five years now with weekly laundering the shirt looks as good as it did the day it was painted with the Tee Juice markers and pens. The are available in a variety of colors and tips for fine writing or larger tips for filling in and coloring. These pens and markers do NOT blend. They are are solid color markers. The Tee Juice markers are not cheap but if you want to make a signature quilt that will last for generations these are the markers you need to use.
For a quilt that will last for generations that has all the work in it that a signature quilt has don’t skimp on the materials, buy the correct fabric and markers and you will never regret it.
I will show you how I prepare the fabric in my next blog so check in next week for more on making of signature quilts.
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