Mark Dark Fabric With Cornstarch | Video Tip
This video tip offers a bright solution for marking dark fabrics with a cornstarch mix.
When working with dark fabric, create bright marks using a cornstarch mix that can be painted on. This video tip is based on a reader recommendation published in Threads #188, Dec. 2016/Jan. 2017.
“I use soap chips or white tailor’s chalk to mark most materials, but some stretch jersey I work with will not take the soap or chalk. The marks are so faint that I can’t see them. As an alternative, I mix cornstarch and water in a glass dish until it is a runny paste (like pancake mix). I dip a fine paintbrush in the solution and start marking. It goes on faintly and dries quickly to a bold white mark. I brush off the mark when I am done. It also wipes off easily with a damp cloth. Whenever I work with dark material, I use this method because the marks show up brighter than anything else I’ve used.”
—Diana Perinacci, Concord, Ohio
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A great idea... but be sure you make up the project, and WASH it promptly. In the lazy, southern climes of Texas, starch in fabric on a shelf is an attractant for wayward moths, which lay eggs, which turn into hungry larva...wool, silk, fur, or cornstarch are yummy!