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How to use Fusible Adhesive for Appliques

Jun5

Getting your applique design ready to be placed on your garment is fun and exciting because you are almost completed with your project and can start visually seeing your creation.

I personally like to us a pellon paper-backed product called Wonder Under.  It is an excellent fusible web that works for just about any type of fabric for making appliques on wearable or home decor projects.  Wonder Under will come will good directions on how to use it but here are a couple of hints to help you have a truly successful outcome.

When you open your Wonder Under, you will feel one side is smooth like thin paper and the other side you can feel a slight roughness which is actually the adhesive side.

Your first step will be to trace your applique design onto the smooth paper side with a nice sharp pencil.  Cut out the design leaving about 1/8 inch extra Wonder Under from your pencil lines on the outer edges.  Doing this will ensure that you have the fusible adhesive covering your entire applique right to the edges of  the fabric.

Pencil traced applique design onto paper side of Wonder Under

Now you are ready to iron your applique design onto the WRONG SIDE of the fabric that you want to make the applique from.   Most of the time, I keep my trusty iron on the cotton setting unless I am really using a fine, delicate fabric.  I also use a pressing cloth that I place over my applique design before I place the hot iron onto the fabric.  An old cotton tea towel, smooth cloth napkins or muslin fabric works great as a pressing cloth for all my projects.

Personally, I really enjoy using these white, cotton kitchen tea towels as a pressing cloth.  You can see through them easily, they are large and leave no lint.

Because my iron is always set with the steam feature on, I leave it that way for pressing the Wonder Under to my fabric.  Never can remember if the directions tell you not to use steam but I have no problems leaving it on.  I just don’t give an extra burst of steam when pressing the applique design.

Pressed design onto WRONG side of applique fabric

Now place your iron onto your applique design and hold it in place for about 5 seconds.   Remove the pressing cloth and check out how the Wonder Under looks like – is it adhering.  If you feel like you need to apply a little more heat, just cover your design again with the pressing cloth and hold the hot iron onto your applique for maybe another 3 to 5 seconds.  Sometimes when using a thicker fabric for the applique design (like denim), you will need to allow for a little extra heating time.  I will do the first pressing and check things out and if I feel like I need a little more heat, flip your applique design over and press from the opposite side of your fabric.

Let cool to the touch and cut out your applique design following your pencil marks.  Lift a corner of the Wonder Under and slowly remove it from your fabric.  You will have a smooth flexible feel to the wrong side of your fabric that is now going to be your applique.

Right side of cut out applique design

Now for the fun part, place your applique design with the adhesive side down (wrong side of  applique fabric to right side of project) and centered onto the right side of your garment.  Press the applique design onto your garment following the same directions as above using the pressing cloth and holding in place for about 5 seconds.  Viola!!

Ironed applique design onto shoulder of T-shirt

If you cut your design out using Pinking Shears or used a tightly woven fabric like twill, canvas, denim, felt or fleece (which either doesn’t fray or very little fraying occurs) your applique design could be set to go.  But a narrow, close, zigzag stitch gives a professional finish look and helps to keep the fraying to a minimum.  Also, applying a little fray check to the edges of your applique helps with the fraying issue too.  If using fray check, apply that to the edges after you have cut out your applique, iron on to your project (pressing cloth recommended), and then sew a narrow, close together, zigzag stitch.

Next blog will be about sewing suggestions for your applique.  In the meantime,  have fun designing appliques and think of all the different uses for them.  Appliques really personalize your project and are a very workable craft to do with a child or young teenager to help them update their room.  The ideas are endless.

  • TIP:  Don’t forget to look at cookie cutters too for great applique designs and ideas!!

HAPPY CREATING!!

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Best Marking Tool

May12

You know when you are sewing or quilting,  you sometimes have to mark your fabric so that you can stitch an accurate line.  There are many different tools available for you to use that can be found at your local sewing store.  However, I have found that the best thing to use to mark your fabric is a bar of soap.

You know how you always end up with those little remnants of soap pieces!!  Well, they are perfect to use for marking on your fabric.   The soap makes a nice, white line which is simple to follow and easy on your needle and sewing machine too.   And best of all, once you have completed the stitching along your soap line, all you have to do is steam is out of your fabric.

I would not recommend using a soap that has lotion within its contents but just about everything else works get.  When the edge of the soap gets rounded, just go wash your hands with it to give yourself a sharper edge to work with.

A perfect use for all those little “hotel” soaps that you collect too.   This is truly a sewing notion that you will always want to keep within your sewing basket!

HAPPY CREATING!!

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Ironing as you Sew

May5

Your iron is one of your best friends when it comes to sewing, quilting and sometimes even crochet projects.   Sometimes you actually need to iron with it (gliding it back and forth); then there are those times you only want to press with it (holding it in one place); and often times you just want to steam with your iron (holding it above your piece and using the steam feature).   It really is such a versatile tool!!

It is always best to use your iron according to the directions stated within your specific project and make sure your settings are accurate for the type of fabric/material that you are using.   Make sure you have a nice pressing cloth readily available to use with those fabrics that you don’t want to place your iron directly on to.   Also, it is good for you physically to get up and move around, get the old blood following and not sit forever behind your sewing machine.

Using a tailor’s ham with your iron will give your sleeves, shoulders  and/or necklines a very professional finished look.  Depending upon what you are sewing, sometimes just a finger press will do the trick.  I use the side of my thumb nail and rub back and forth along the seam to help hold it in place.  There are some very nice little tools that will give you the same results as your nail too.

I always have my iron and ironing board set up in my sewing/craft room.  You can even set up one of those little ironing boards and place it on your dining room table if that is where you sew.  Most importantly, don’t overlook the importance of pressing seams, facings, hems, etc., your project will love you for it.

Once in a while, be sure to use a good iron cleaner to keep your sole plate clean to help with smooth gliding and insuring nothing yucky gets transferred onto your project!!   I personally like a product called Ez-Off because you can use it directly onto your hot iron and it removes all kinds of residue that I seem to get onto the bottom of my iron.

Enjoy your creating moments but remember too that sometimes those small processes like pressing will really make a big difference within your finished item.

  • TIP:  I use an inexpensive tablecloth as my pressing cloth.  It gives me the options of using a single layer or folding it many times for a thicker pressing cloth.  Also, if using a single layer, I can see through it to my project.

HAPPY CREATING!!

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Hold Everything – Let’s Do Straps

Apr18

Making straps does not have to be a struggle and you don’t always have to follow the directions given within your pattern.  That’s what I find so inviting with sewing is that you can “think” outside the box.

I personally do not  like to sew straps with right sides together because after you have sewn your strap, you do have to turn it to the right side.  There are some wonderful tools out there to help you when turning a strap but here’s a method to make a strap without having to bother with the turning process.

First, determine the finished width of your strap –  1/4″   or   1/2″   or   1″  –   or a width that will work best for your project.  Say you have decided to make a 1/2″ wide finished strap, so now you have to figure out the actual cut width of your strap.  For example, if you want a  1/2″  wide finished strap, you need to add  a  1/2″  width of  fabric to each side of your strap plus add another 1/2″ to the actual width to compensate for your folding,  making your cut  width  2″   wide.

    Finished strap width 1/2″   +   1/2″ for fold   +   1″  for sides    =    2″ wide cut strap

This calculation is  the same for whatever strap width you want.   For a finished 1/4″ wide strap,  you would add 1/4″ to each side of your fabric plus  1/4″  for fold,  making a cut width of   1″ wide;  for a  1″  wide completed strap, you need to add  1″  of  fabric to both sides of your strap plus 1″ for fold,  making for a cut width of  4″  wide.

You just double your finished strap width and add that calculation to your finished width and be sure to add another finished width to that total to compensate for the fold and this will determine the width of your strap pattern to cut from your fabric.

Finished width    +   finished width for fold   +   doubled finished width for sides    =    Cut width

Your strap length can be the length used from your specific pattern piece or whatever length you decide would work best for your particular project.

Once you have decided upon your width and length for your strap, go ahead and cut out the strap from your fabric.  Next step is to have your iron ready – set your iron temperature to the setting that will work best for your fabric.  Now press your strap piece with wrong sides together forming a crease right down the middle of your strap.

Pressed wrong sides together to form crease down the center

Let cool and fold over each side edge to meet at that center crease and press in place.  Again, let cool to the touch and fold your strap in half along that creased line and press once more.

Pressed one side up to meet center creasePressed second edge to meet at center crease

 

Both edges pressed to meet center crease

 

Folded pressed edges in half, ready to be top stitched

Now head back to your sewing machine and top stitch close to your strap edge.  You can stitch just along the open edge to close it or you can sew a top stitch line down each side of your strap.  Personal preference for top stitching.

Top stitched edge closed (used contrasting thread for example)Example of top stitching along both edges

Example of top stitching along both edges of strap

Your strap is completed and can now be sewn into place within your project.  Give this method a whirl next time you need to make a strap for anything!!

HAPPY CREATING!!

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