A Quick Guide for Removing Chalk

I hope this graphic helps when you need a plan for removing chalk. It's really for those of you who may not want to wash your quilt right away. It could be a gift, and you don't want it washed before you give it to the recipient. Many of you will go right to the step of washing it in the washer, regular cycle with mild soap. That's perfect. The other stages are there for the instances when washing the quilt when it's finished isn't what you want to do.

I should also explain that the reason it says "check over before drying" above is that if you don't and there are any places missed during the wash cycle—which can happen with large quilts especially—you don't want to place it in the dryer where the heat could set the remaining chalk. A quick visual check will let you know whether to proceed with the dryer. And also, when I say spray with Oxyclean, I mean spray over the chalk lines you see, not the entire quilt.

A good tip when using pink or blue chalk is to not over chalk. I've seen pictures of quilts that had far more chalk on them than was necessary to see and quilt with. Remember, what goes on, you will want to come off with ease.

Remember, I am here to help, too. You can reach me at 530-340-2396 or 530-459-1028 or email me at marilyndeas@fulllinestencil.com.