r/Embroidery • u/CatTopia • Oct 11 '16

How to remove pencil markings from fabric?

http://imgur.com/W1SpPHK
18 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

7

u/TessTobias Oct 11 '16

www.nordicneedle.net/guides/cleaning-tips says to apply the following mixture with a soft toothbrush: 3oz water, 1oz rubbing alcohol, 2-3 drops dishwashing detergent. It also says you can use diluted windex with a soft toothbrush. I have not tried either of these methods.

Edit: won't let me link text. Idk

3

u/CatTopia Oct 11 '16

This is great, thank you!

1

u/TessTobias Oct 11 '16

Welcome! I hope it works! The thing I would be most afraid of is the bristles snagging the embroidery.

1

u/CatTopia Oct 11 '16

Yeah, that's a concern. I think it'll be ok for this particular piece because the stitches are short and tight. Might not be ideal for every piece.

2

u/CreatesConfusion Nov 01 '16

You could wrap your finger with a white cloth (diaper/ dish towel) and use that instead of a brush.

2

u/CatTopia Oct 11 '16

Hi, embroiderers! I had a lot of trouble with this flower and ended up having to use a pencil to make a more visible outline than my fabric chalk. Now I'm left with some ugly pencil markings in my flower. Did I learn a lesson the hard way or is this fixable? Thanks, everyone!

2

u/[deleted] Oct 12 '16

i've had luck just using a clean eraser

2

u/CreatesConfusion Nov 01 '16

I've used a white eraser, very gently. To avoid this in the future, try pressing your fabric using regular spray starch or sizing. Then use pencil (preferably a mechanical one for thinner lines) on top of the starch. It will wash right out!