100 times before and when I got it out the marks were still there. This has been the WORST embroidery project I have ever done. The colors converted weird, the first stitchout horrible, the second attempt not much better and the third acceptable. Not only will the marks not come out but the design shrank too. Any wonderful hints??? The water in the washer was cold not hot. Thanks Becky

Becky, My computer changes the colours on some designs so I make a list of what colours I'll be using in the number order & follow that. Having a jpeg helps you to see that your machine has changed the colours. Best of Luck

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by workbecky 11 Apr 2010

Thanks I had my laptop beside me while embroidering so I could see the color changes the digitizer suggested. The purple and green for the rope and anchor really blew my mind. :)

Thanks everyone for all the hints and suggestions. I think these are great. Not sure what worked on the red shirt but after using alcohol several times and baking soda AND soaking it three more times the marks appear to be gone. The good news is my husband loves it especially the blue background. I wasn't going to try this design again but all the wonderful tips about the pucking changed my mind. I am uploading two pictures of the 4th attempt at this design. I used two layers of stablizer but I hadn't read the tip about being at 90 deg angle so they were just laid on top of each other. This shirt (grey oxford) was one from my husband's closet so it has been previously washed. I think it looks pretty good.

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by mufti 11 Apr 2010

Good one Becky! I promised stabiliser would help you...now just put the pieces at 90 deg next time and you will be flying with the eagles! Mufti cheering for you!

to remove the water soluble pen marks i use distilled room temp water with a small amount of regular rubbing alcohol added in to a spray bottle just spray it on the marks-if it is on a light color i will have to repeat until the marks are gone-i usually dry with just a fan and then repeat the spray if necessary-good luck

Hi,I stopped using water soluble pens. Have been told in my embroidery and patchwork classes that the lines can come back later and that they know of quilts that have gone rotten where the marked lines were. I now use a white pen that has a rubber on the top to remove your markings. you can iron if needed and the lines can be removed. Please let us know how you get on. Heather

This happened to me on Madisons circle thing i put up on cute the other day, I sprayed it with preen because some didnt come out, Wow it worked and i had accidently ironed it lightly before i had finished!!

Becky I think I have used just about everything mentioned at one time or another. One thing I have found that often helps is shampoo. Found this out quite by accident once while on a trip. Bad stain on blouse, dipped a q tip in some shampoo got it right out. Another q tip dipped in cold water finished the job then dried with a hairdryer. Hope some or at least one of the tips helped you. Lillian *

White vinegar should remove the bllue marks. Ironing them will definately set them in. I'm so glad you posted the pictures. Your problem with the puckering is not enough stabilizer. Use 2 layers of cut-away, one in the hoop and float the other under the hoop. when you trim it, leave about 1/8 of an inch around the design. It may also help to pre-shrink the shirt especially if it's cotton.

I also heavily starch my fabric before embroidering. I am also learning that it is always better to have 1 too many layers of stabilizer than not enough. It is so frustrating to embroider a design only to have a mess. If I have any doubts about a design, I try to remember to do a test- stitch first. I hope it all works out for you. Let us know when it works

Interesting question and answers. Hydrogen peroxide is a bleach so take care

Becky, I'm sorry to read about your problems, here is my experience (FWIW). I have had some markingpens to be difficult to erase - rules...use cold water only to either dab or rinse out. Never iron the marks, this sets them, also does some detergents. If you must scrub, try rubbing with a gentle soap rather than use detergent.
The puckering is due to several things. When you embroider a design with the heavy density of stitches as your design has, you must use more stabiliser behind the design. I would use at least 2 pieces of cutaway as backing behind this fine shirting fabric. The shirt fabric must be made "cardboard stiff" to accept the density of the added embroidery stitches into its weave otherwise it will pucker (appear to have the design shrink after it relaxes when removed from the hoop as yours has). The more dense the embroidery (more stitches per square inch) the more important to heavily stabilise the fabric...especially and particularly if the fabric is light-weight. Try this on a sample piece. Also the larger the embroidery piece, the same necessity to solidly stabilise. Hope for better results for you next time. Cheers, Mufti

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by workbecky 10 Apr 2010

Thanks, I guess I didn't think it was the stablizer since the FIRST disaster which I totally removed did not but like this but then I didn't wash the shirt either. I will definitely try two layers of stablizer. My husband loves this design and wants it on another shirt.

by workbecky 10 Apr 2010

That would be "look like this" not but like this.

by mufti 11 Apr 2010

Becky, Further to my first response, I promise you (brave words...but true!) that more stabiliser will reward your next effort...
Also, a brief word about the "changing of colours" you found when you took the embroidery into JEF (Janome) format. It is highly likely that this design (being a service personel logo)has been digitised to run on an industrial embroidery machine. If, as I suspect,this to be case, whilst the file will still be recognised and stitch out on a home machine it may be in DST or EXP format (which our machines do recognise) but the commercial machines "aren't interested" in saving the real colours such as red (petals), blue (petals), green for leaves etc ,but save the sequence of colours as No1 colour, No2 colour etc, promoting the fact that you choose whatever colour you like to thread into your machine... have I explained this sufficiently to understand? Our machines more easily recognise a digital number rather than a shade of colour.....
I would not lessen the density in this design (as someone else mentioned). It is a thought, but has difficulties - this design would have been digitised by an expert (if it is from the Services) and looks best nice and dense....more stabiliser is the answer. and put the 2 sheets of stabiliser grainlines at right angles to each other, this is stronger. One piece of Stabiliser only takes about 10,000 stitches before it starts to cut away with the needle - 2 pieces at right angle to each other - infinitely more stable and stronger.... Cheers, Mufti

Hi Becky,
Oh, wow! What a terrible story, but hopefully one that can be rectified. On a colored shirt, I'd be cautious about using hydrogen peroxide as one person suggested. In my experience, it will take some of the color out of the shirt also.

I've had very good luck with either white vinegar or hair spray (cheapest aerosol you find) for removing pen marks. It may take a number of applications of either of them; I also put a white paper towel on the back side of where the mark is so that the paper towel absorbs the colored pen mark.

The puckering in the design may be a sign of inadequate stabilizer for a dense design. If you have the software to do it, you may want to consider removing some of the underlay stitches to 'thin out' the design. Another thought would be to use a heavier weight stabilizer.

I feel so badly for you! Hopefully all of the suggestions from such a great group will help. Good luck! and let us know how it goes.
Marion in sunny Kentucky

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by workbecky 10 Apr 2010

I think I have software to remove some stitches. I have never tried it. This might be the perfect time to try. Thanks. :)

Here are two pictures of the headache and heart ache. Our son is a new Marine and my husband wants EVERY shirt to show how proud he is. I bought the design from EmbroideryDesigns and I beleive the digitizer was Bella Mia. The colors on the web page AND the color chart matched but when my computer read the JEF the background was white, the eagles tail feathers Red, the anchor and rope pale violet outlined in emerald green and so on. I did not resize or do the conversion myself. The shirt is 100% cotton but the shirt doesn't seem to have shrunk just the design. The blue marks are faint in these pictures but they are at the ends of the black words and a cross hatch mark on the right side near the edge of the patch.

So far have tried the alcohol. No luck. I do not have white vinegar or hair spray so will have to buy those. I didn't try to iron out the wrinkles for fear of setting the blue marks. I do have baking soda so that is my next try. Thanks for all the advise. Cuties are the most wonderful helpers. Love you all. Becky

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HI Becky..
I am sure you have used your wss before so I am presumming you know this to be a good one !!
But I am curious about the colour conversion..
have you changed the format of the original file your self.. I am wondering if you have had such a nightmare, that perhaps there are some errors in the file..
my only other thought is with regards to the shrinkage of the item..
Would love to know about the actual project you are trying.. perhaps then we can offer more advice
Big hugs from London
Mooie xxx

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by workbecky 10 Apr 2010

I bought it with the JEF format. So no I did not do the conversion myself.

by workbecky 10 Apr 2010

I forgot to say my daughter and family are moving to an AFB near London. They should arrive early May. They have been in Guam for the past 3 years. Not fair for the grandma (me) who won't get to see grandkids for another 3 years. OUr daughter is expecting their 5th child due in November.

by mooie24 11 Apr 2010

Oh wow.. they are going to love London xx
Lets hope we have a little sunshine here when they arrive :-)
May I also send blessings for your growing family
Big hugs - Mooie xx

Wow, I am so sorry that you are having such a hard time with your project. I hope that it turns out alright.

Something that I was told would help, is baking soda. You are supposed to dilute a little in water and then spray the item with it.

Hydrogen peroxide is also recommended.

Test on a little section first. I also found an article. I am enclosing the link. I hope it comes out. May your day get better!

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by workbecky 10 Apr 2010

Oh my! I read the article. My laundry detergent IS Arm and Hammer. I guess I am fortunate this hasn't happened before. I will definitly go buy some white vinegar to have on hand. Thanks. Becky

by crafter2243 11 Apr 2010

Very interresting article. Thanks for posting it.

Well Becky,
I've had great luck with white vinegar and rubbing alcohol. Try one first and if that doesn't work, try the other. I wonder what type of fabric shrank in cold water? Good luck. Therese

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by workbecky 10 Apr 2010

Thank you. The marks do seem to be getting lighter but are still visible. :(

All I know is that ink can be removed with hairspray. I always have the bad habit of talking with my hands and I end up with my tops full of filttip
pen stripes. I would then spray a bit of cottonwool with hairspray and dab the marks with this. It would remove the marks. I would advise that you first test the material though.

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by workbecky 10 Apr 2010

Thank you. I had heard hair spray removeds ink but forgot. Thanks. :)

by gerryvb 10 Apr 2010

wow. I;ve never heard of that before, I'm going to try this, thanks!

by mops 10 Apr 2010

Never heard this either, I'll certainly try this out as I used a blue felt tip pen instead of a water soluable - silly of course, but they looked so much alike and I never use felt tips, but a GD did and I never had a proper look.

by joann13100 10 Apr 2010

Cheap hair spray (like Aqua net) will remove ball point pen ink because it contains methylene chloride, an industrial solvent. I don't think it will work on wash out blue marker. The sad truth about wash out marker is it doesn't always wash out. I would be inclined to try isopropyl alcohol. It works on felt tip markers, if you catch it fast enough. The stain may be set, though.

by stitchship 10 Apr 2010

I agree with Joann13100. I have used hairspray successfully to remove ball point pen ink, but I don't think that it is meant to remove the water soluble marker.

Please when you try any of our suggestions, try it on a tiny spot first.

I would dip a Q-tip in the chosen solution, and then gently touch the garment with it. Then I would wait and see what happens. Since the shirt is a color shirt, you don't want the solution to fade the color. ;) Let us know what works best for you.