Long term effects of adhesive chemicals on quilts

[JANE T.]

Leah Day has an interesting link on her blog today. The University of Nebraska has completed a study of the long term effects of different adhesives on our quilts including spray adhesive, fusible web and fusible batting. Her blog is here: http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.c...nd-quilts.html

Or you can go directly to the study here:
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/vi...ty_fusibles%22

[Lotti D.]

great information - thanks for passing it on - certainly gives pause for thought

[Rita C.]

Very interesting - thanks for the info.

[Eileen K.]

If I remember right, Quilters Newsletter did a study on fusibles a few years ago. Hopefully Margo or someone still has that article. I spoke with Dee Dee McElroy several years ago about markers. Her research staff looked at things like the blue markers. She told me that they sped up the aging process on quilts marked with the blue markers and some of them came back brown. She also said to never, ever use them on fabrics with any red in them; that they immediately turn brown. Nobody knows for sure what any long term effects are going to be because none of these products have been around that long.

Personally, I use the General chalk pencils, the Sewline or Bohin pencils, Roxanne's or Pat Campbell's marking pencils.

[Margo C.]

I can't help but think that ANYTHING we put on our fabrics has the potential to affect the fibers in the long run. Especially adhesives and any marker that is moist.
But there is also a time and place for everything. Fusibles for children's quilts make sense to me. I love Crayola Washable Markers for marking quilting motifs.

However, for a project that I hope will become an heirloom, I am much more careful about the products that I use.

[Rita C.]

About ten years ago I used a blue marker on a baby quilt but didn't get around to quilting it for a while - several months in fact. When I finally did quilt it and tried to use the eraser end of the pen to clean off the marks it did work but it took the fibers with it so that I was left with a quilt with lots of splits in it. I am very wary of those water soluble pens now. I used one again recently and tried to use a spritzer to get the blue out of a plain cotton fabric but the next day some of the blue marks were there again. I spritzed it again but the following day they returned. I just don't believe that they work or that the water removes the colour permanently.

Having said that I just used 505 basting spray on a quilt because I find the pinning method too painful on my hands and I was too lazy to stitch baste!

[Margo C.]

I think that ANY marks should be thoroughly washed out of the fabric, not just minimized so that they don't show at the moment. Personally, I think that wetting the marks made with the blue wash out pens just makes the chemicals soak into the batting to reappear at a later date!!

What has worked for me has been to soak any quilt that has been marked with any kind of marker in a washer full of cool/cold water for about 15 minutes with NO SOAP.
I drain that water out of the machine, then launder the quilt with a mild soap (I like Orvus Paste) in a regular or gentle cycle. That way I feel like the chemicals are removed from the fibers.

I get Orvus at the local farmer's co-op! http://www.farmandfleet.com/products...aste_soap.html
It comes in a 7 pound jug for $21.49

or a smaller amount:
http://www.amazon.com/Quilters-Rule-.../dp/B000BQLJIU
8 oz for $13.69

[Judy B.]

Wow Margo. You're gettiing a great price. I paid $30 for the last jar I purchased at my farm supply store. :shock: :shock: :shock:

[Margo C.]

Wow Margo. You're gettiing a great price. I paid $30 for the last jar I purchased at my farm supply store. :shock: :shock: :shock:

You might want to check the link I provided above. That's the price they have on-line. Of course, shipping may get it up to your $30.

Even at that price it's a MUCH better deal than the little 8 oz. jar sold as "QUILT SOAP!"

[Frank F.]

This was most interesting. I'm not a fan of either fusible sprays or fusible web, especially for applique' techniques. Even though I might not ever make a quilt worthy of heirloom status, and probably not make a quilt that a museums would be fighting over, you never know!

Thanks for bringing this important study to our attention.