“Fabric pens can be a very useful tool in a quilter’s arsenal, and here we look at some simple ways they can be used to create interesting and unusual work.”
– Lin Clements
FABRIC PENS
ost of the articles I write for the Essential Guide series deal with the techniques most of us want to master in patchwork, appliqué and quilting. For some of us, this leads to explorations in quilt art, where other techniques are added to our basic repertoire to create multi-media pieces of work. These techniques may include fabric folding and manipulation, hand and machine-embroidery and also colouring fabric. In this month’s article, I’m going to look at colouring and decorating fabric using fabric pens. There are many uses for fabric pens, especially if they can be relied upon to be permanent, and suggestions are made throughout the article. One major benefit is that results can be fast, so, for example, a quilt label can be created quickly and easily if you’re short on time. Pens are also convenient, for example, the leaf sample below shows how empty spaces can be filled with simple images to create additional interest in a project. We will start by looking at the pros and cons of using pens, because forewarned is forearmed. We will also look at the benefits of using a light-box or pad to transfer designs to fabric. Finally, we will look at two ways to use fabric pens to create interesting and individual pieces of work, specifically how filler patterns can be used to fill simple shapes and how pens can be used to create images such as flowers, leaves and branches. Samples are included to
