"Disappearing" tailor's chalk

[sydnie7]

Did a search and didn't see anything about this, so thought I would chime in. Noticed at least one post where mention was made of "dusting off wrong chalk marks" during kilt construction. My sister clued me in to products such as this: http://tinyurl.com/55457u which as it states is a tailor's chalk made specifically for use on wool. Its composition is such that it disappears over time or -- and this is the cool part -- when steam-ironed! The link given shows it sold by the big box but I'm sure you can find "personal quantities" at local shops or elsewhere online. There are several brands of similar purpose, I don't know specifically which one my sister uses, just Googled "disappear tailor chalk" to find this example.

Hope it helps someone down the road.

P.S. There's also a variety that disappears to the naked eye but still shows under black light. You supply the joke

[James MacMillan]

My wife is heavily into quilting. She uses a powder/chalk that is despenced from a tube to a notched wheel that she got at Joannes. She has several colors of chalk/powder to allow her to mark any fabric.

[Ancienne Alliance]

Lady Chrystel just uses a plain, normal hand soap bar when it withers out to a slim, chalk like thing.

Goes away with ironing... and leaves a nice smell !

Best,

Robert

[Barb T]

I worry a bit about what chemical is in the "disappearing" chalk (iron-out) and what its effect over the long term might be on tartan. If I were making a garment that would be worn for a few years and then given to Good Will, I wouldn't worry. But, a kilt may be handed down from person to person, and, given the fact that regular clay, dust-off (wax-free) chalk works perfectly well and isn't hard to find, I'm not willing to risk using the disappearing stuff.

[sydnie7]

I worry a bit about what chemical is in the "disappearing" chalk (iron-out) and what its effect over the long term might be on tartan. If I were making a garment that would be worn for a few years and then given to Good Will, I wouldn't worry. But, a kilt may be handed down from person to person, and, given the fact that regular clay, dust-off (wax-free) chalk works perfectly well and isn't hard to find, I'm not willing to risk using the disappearing stuff.

Hadn't thought of it from that perspective (although my kilting attempts are unlikely to become heirlooms ).

I still think the "black light" stuff has possibilities. . .

[M. A. C. Newsome]

This is what I use:
http://store.atlantathread.com/pratstachsou.html

It doesn't say it on the web site, but the price is for a box of 48 pieces, which even if you make as many kilts as I do, lasts an awful long time. This chalk steams out beautifully.

Note, they also sell a product called "disappearing chalk" that is supposed to go away on its own after 72 hours. Never used that. Maybe this is the chemical chalk that Barb is afraid of? I can't say. But the regular tailor's chalk that steams out (above) I've never had a problem with. That's also the chalk that Bob Martin used, and he had a kilt making career spanning 30 years. (Not saying he used this brand for that whole time, I don't know. But that is the brand he recommended to me).

In any case, I really like how easily it steams out. Once I had a guy attempt to make his own box pleated kilt, but gave up on the venture and sent me the cloth to make it for him. About all he had gotten done himself was to chalk out the apron edges, which he had done in the wrong place. So I put in my own chalk lines and worked from those, and silly me assumed that his lines would steam out when I steamed mine (after all, this brand of chalk was all I had ever used). Nope. I don't know what kind of chalk he used but it was a nightmare to get out. Nothing seemed to work. I think in the end it had to be taken to be professionally cleaned. So that experience has really made me value the brand of chalk that I have.

~M

[Barb T]

Here's what I use:

http://sewtrue.com/Store/Jems-500-Ta...halk-P336.html

Comes in lots of colors, but the white (sort of a gray-white) is great. It's pure clay (no wax), and dusts off beautifully. I figure, if this stuff works, why take a chance with whatever chemical is in the chalk that makes it disappear when you iron it?

[trojanrabbit]

Lady Chrystel just uses a plain, normal hand soap bar when it withers out to a slim, chalk like thing.
Goes away with ironing... and leaves a nice smell !

Agree. /me used same thing. And soap have many colours too. ) So for sewing from time to time that's good solution, i think.

[Abax]

I used to carve soapstone as a kid and used little scraps of that to mark fabric. It worked great, leaving a little powder that would rub off after a few swipes. I was careful not to use a piece of soapstaone that had hard impurities in it.

Abax

[george7]

I just get the tailors chalk at the fabric store or Walmart. Steam from the iron seems to make it all disappear anyhow.