I am new here and to batik.  Your website is wonderful and I think I may be hooked. 

My question is about the pencil marks I made on my t-shirt to draw a pattern before waxing.  Will it come out or be dyed over?  I'm worried it will show.

Are you using dye, or fabric paint? Pencil marks will wash out after you use dye, assuming that you boil out all of the wax. However, fabric paint will often make any pencil marks it covers over into permanent marks.

Ordinary graphite pencils are a good choice for marking designs for batik. They are safe to use on silk as well as on cotton. This is my preferred method for predrawing batik designs on fabric.

Another popular choice, children's washable markers, are fine for use for temporary markings when tie-dyeing cotton, using dye, not fabric paint, but they will sometimes leave permanent marks on silk.

You can also buy disappearing markers, which make a bright purple line which disappears after a day or so in the air (faster in humid conditions), or immediately when immersed in water, for marking fabric. I find these more suitable for marking where to sew than where to wax or dye. I prefer ordinary pencils for batik.

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