There is nothing more disappointing than to find the very light pencil lines you marked on your applique background are visible when the last piece is put in place. Sometimes you marked in the wrong place and sometimes you sewed your pieces in the wrong place. What ever the cause, you now have visible lines on your fabric. Grrrrrrr.

Some tips for removing those lines:

A white eraser like artists use can remove pencil from fabrics if you’re willing to put in some elbow grease. DON’T use a standard pink eraser because it will leave pink smears on your fabric.

It helps to have your fabric on a non-slick surface to keep your fabric from moving with the eraser. It will also help to put some tension on the fabric so that it doesn’t give with the pressure of the eraser.

Another tip from pencils.com: “If a soft eraser failed to remove the stain, apply a few drops of liquid detergent to the affected area and rub gently with a soft, damp cloth.”

And a tip saved from Nordic Needle’s old website: “To remove PENCIL lines from fabric, apply the following mixture with a soft toothbrush: * 3 ounces of water, 1 ounce of rubbing alcohol, 2-3 drops dishwashing detergent. Another solution to remove PENCIL marks is to use diluted Windex applied with a soft toothbrush.”