Technique of the Week – Week 2 – Bleach Pen Discharging

Who would have thought that the lowly Bleach Pen would be so much fun?  Here’s this week’s video!

Week 2
Skill Level: Confident Beginner
Time Commitment: Afternoon
Cost: Under $5

As I said in the previous video, I designed these mini quilts with lots of underwater themes so I didn’t have to worry about design. I just wanted to play and learn something new! Playing with a Bleach Pen is lots of fun, but be sure to follow all the directions and wear old clothes you don’t mind getting any bleach on! (Ask me how I know.)

Here are some examples of how different the bleach is on different kinds of fabrics. Here are the BEFORE pictures (I have protected my work surface with some scrap cardboard):

And here’s the AFTER….  Pretty neat!

Note how the one black fabric didn’t bleach out completely?  You never know how they will react!

One major factor in this technique is to stop the bleaching reaction. You need to wash out the fabric well, and then apply an agent to stop the processing.  I used vinegar.  (PLEASE NOTE: Wash the bleach out of the fabric before applying vinegar to the fabric!!!  Bleach and Vinegar make very toxic chemicals you should never breathe! WASH first, then vinegar.) Another product I have seen recommended is anti-Clor (made for swimming pools).

So, I hope you try this one out and have some fun.