fusible for applique

I always thought- prolly read somewhere- that the finish and/or dust on new fabric would prevent a good bond. I know for sure that HnB says to not use any type of fabric softener on the fabric. Good luck!

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

I just don't trust fusibles for anything that I hope will last a long time. When they are no longer fit for Sunday, DH wears old white dress shirts for yard work. Pretty soon, the collars and cuffs turn a lively shade of orange from the fusibles. That also happened to a white dress of mine. The discoloring won't matter much on a crib quilt that's going to get hurled spinach purée anyway but do beware of combining fusible and any white fabric. Polly

"Leslie & The Furbabies in MO." < wrote >

I'm a pre-washer, too, so the only time I did a BOM from the fabric store, I washed each of the pieces by hand -- swished them around in the sink with a bit of hand dishwashing liquid, rinsed them, rolled them in a towel to remove excess moisture, and ironed them dry.

Julia > I have bought a BOM that I am going to do the buttonhole appliqué on.

Washing before using any fusible allows a better bond to the fabric. Fabrics are treated to resist stuff in shipment and display, that needs to be removed to allow the fusible to bond. Fabric softener has some of the same properties, it creates a "finish" that helps to repel "stuff" and also repels the fusible. (If overused it also does bad things to the fibers of the fabric. But that is another subject........)

If this is to be an heirloom quilt, I might suggest not using fusibles. But for a fun, to be used regularly, but not used "hard", the fusible should be fine. BTW, most of the fusible webs are, or are similar to, "a thermoplastic adhesive polymer resin"-- that just means that it is a heat "activated" glue made of a polymer......

I have clothing that has had fusible interfacing in it for years, with no problem. (Although the one that I did have problems with keeps me from using certain brands....) I have used fusible web in projects that are several years old too, and except for the stiffness, are fine.

Have fun, Pati, in Phx

Taria wrote:

Taria, if you don't want to use a fusible, how about an alternative? I just finished making a Christmas stocking, and I decided to skip the fusible on the machine appliquéed parts. Instead, I ran a very thin bead of Elmer's washable school glue around the parts to be fused, then pressed them with a hot iron to make the bond sturdier. It worked *very* well, and I know it will wash out. Just an alternative.

So I should prewash. I don't know that any of my work could be called heirloom. I did find that on the Mistyfuse site they sell an alleged ultraviolet product:

I guess the color problem is being addressed but how do we know that this will really be any better? Anyone interested in the article in QNM can check the March 2004 issue #360. They address batting adhesive spray and fuible battings too. Interesting stuff. Thanks Pati, Taria

Pati C. wrote:

Hi Taria I do a lot of applique, and I always prewash. Fabric "straight off the shelf" has sizing on it, which will prevent proper adhering. I always like to finish the edges of my applique, so, if the pieces are kinda small, I use the tiniest dab of "Elmer's Glue Stick" in a few places, until I can get it sewn down. It washes out, but holds the piece in place until finished. I suppose any "Elmer's Glue" would work.....

If I'm hand finishing, such as blanket (buttonhole) stitch, I use the lightest weight fusible I can find. If I'm doing satin stitch by machine, I use a light or medium weight. I never use the heavy stuff, as it just seems too stiff when project is done.

I've never had any trouble with bleeding and/or yellowing - yet...........

Good Luck! Patti in Seattle

I think so, Taria. After all, not all fusibles last forever, either. BTW, I don't do very much appliqué, so I don't have a supply of stabilizer on hand. The stabilizer I most frequently end up using is plain old copy paper. LOL! It works for me and is pretty easy to remove if I'm not too rough with it. ;)

LOL! You're right, Taria!