Press and Seal

The reson you use Press 'n Seal is is that it is sticky so you can press it onto the original drawing you want to copy, and transparent so you see through it to trace.

Then, when you have traced the design with permanent pen, and when it is (very) dry you put the Press 'n Seal, sticky side down, on the fabric where you want to quilt the design. You can position it accurately because you can see through it. You then quilt along the lines, and when you have finished tear away the press 'n seal. The slight stickyness doesn't affect the fabric.

Hope that makes it clearer.

It is the "lumpy" ("sealy" part) factor that makes it great for use in the quilting of designs. First, find a pattern/shape you want to use as a quilting motif. (This can be from one of the quilting design books - or by using a template you can buy at a local quilt shop. Then trace (or copy) that pattern on to the smooth side of the P'n'S with a permanent marker. Let it dry thoroughly! [Same thing you'd do if you'd trace it onto paper.] Then you place the design (the P'n'S) where you want it on the quilt. Smooth it down by rubbing gently, making sure that the "lumpy" side is down. This is what makes it soooo neat! You DON'T have to pin it in place! It holds beautifully in place, thanks to that "lumpy" finish.

Quilt on the pre-drawn lines, using a fairly short stitch length - or use a darning foot on your machine with the feed dogs down. When done stitching, tear/pull the P'n'S off.... the only booger here is narrow, sharp angles - you might need a tweezer to pick it off inside those tiny points. I've found that it's sometimes easier to pull off the outside of a design first, making the inside points (if you have them) easier to get free.

Another great thing (besides not having to pin it down) is that

1. you can also draw guidelines across the design in a second color of ink (like a large X) so that you can line the design up with the corners - or be able to keep the design centered.
2. If making a cable design on a border strip, you can draw a line off to the side of your quilting design to line up with a seam (and keep it nice and straight.)
3. You don't have to worry about chalk marks smearing, markers not erasing, or trying to mark directly onto the fabric itself.

If you have some P'n'S on hand, give it a try on a spare block and see how it works. I love the stuff, 'cuz I can re-position it and don't have to use pins to hold it in place. (I got tired of bleeding from being stuck with pins!

ME-Judy (a Press'n'Seal addict)

Another option in using the pressn'seal without having to wait for ink to dry: I prefer to pencil trace any motif onto tracing paper (usually examining table rolls from my nephew) - stack as many papers as I need, staple the stack then machine-needle punch through all copies - tear off a copy - position it on the quilt and cover with a piece of pressn'seal to hold it in place - quilt. Benefits in my opinion: pencil tracing can be seen easily on the white paper which is good for the awkward colours of fabric, the paper makes it easier to pull out any tiny intersections and the static cling of the plastic is reduced, there is no waiting time or worry about permanent ink marks on light coloured fabrics. Any spare copies on tracing paper can be filed away for another time and only one tracing is necessary of the original design. The needle punching also gives a practise session for the free-motion quilting action and any extra 'flourishes' or other touches can also be added or removed without any quilting stitches having to be ripped from the final quilt. jennellh (@gmail.com)

I do a similar thing to this: I draw the quilting motifs onto freezer paper and lightly press them to the quilt (use freezer paper just so they will hold still). Then I put P.N.S over the templates and quilt round them. This does sound like more work - but a lot of my work is small, so the increase in effort is very small. . In message , jennellh writes

THANK YOU

I am getting ready to sandwich and then start quilting a wallhanging for my BIL and was wondering how to transfer my Sashiko designs onto the appropriate squares. I am off the the store tomorrow after school and plan on trying this out this weekend.

Press and Seal, here I come.

Steve Alaska

She in PA

Have fun Steve!

In message , steve writes

I am seeing the group who provided the cakes which were wrapped in what appeared to be PnS, and which I sold at a charity fair, next week. I just hope the Gingerbread maker is there!

When/if I have a result I will let you know. Mine was kindly brought back by kind holidaymakers! I hope the Gingerbread person's wasn't.

I keep looking but here in the back of beyond I never go near Sainsbury's, Asda, etc - just Somerfield and the Co-op! Its the sort of thing Lakeland would stock, but couldn't see any on their website.

Seaside~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~uk

Good for you, Steve. Quite conveniently, the grocery store stocks both PnS and chocolate! Stock up on both.

;) PAT > THANK YOU