Mary Green has pulled together all the good information about the wonderful world of fusible webs and has made a display board here at the shop that you can see and feel for yourself how they differ from one another behind fabric.
This may help you decide which is most appropriate for any project you are working on.
Please stop by, see what Mary made and make a small 'sampler' to take home for future reference.
Thanks Mary!!!! Great information!
Fun
with Fusibles!
Fusible
web is an iron-on adhesive made from a mesh of fibers with adhesive
properties. The fibers melt when heated
to join two layers of fabric together.
There are a number of fusible web products out there but this is the
common element.
Paper-Backed
Fusibles
There
are many brands of paper-backed fusibles. Heat n Bond
Lite, Heat n Bond Feather Lite, Shades SoftFuse, and Bosal
fusible come with one side of paper. Steam-a-Seam 2 and Lite
Steam-a-Seam are both products that come with paper on both sides of the
fusible web.
The
procedure for using a paper-backed fusible is generally the same:
1. Remember to reverse the
design in order to avoid a mirror image.
2. Trace the reversed design
onto the paper backing of the fusible web.
3. Roughly cut out the traced
object leaving about ¼ around the design, leave
the paper attached.
4. Iron the cut out piece of
paper-backed fusible web to the wrong
side of your applique fabric and allow it to cool.
5. Cut the design to size,
using the outlines drawn on the paper.
When cutting “to size” remember to include under or overlaps, if using.
6. Peel off the paper backing.
7. Iron the fused fabric into
position
When
using Steam-a-Seam 2 and Lite Steam-a-Seam the directions are slightly
different since they have paper on both sides of the fusible web. The double paper backing is because the
fusible web is pressure sensitive on both sides allowing for a temporary hold
to both the applique material and the background. Here are good directions for using Steam-a-Seam products:
1. Remove one piece of the
paper backing. One side should be easier
to remove than the other, so check for this before drawing your design.
2. Draw your reversed design
onto the remaining paper backing and roughly cut around it.
3. You can iron or just finger
press the Steam-a-Seam to the wrong side of
your applique fabric
4. Cut out the design on the
drawn lines.
5. Position the applique on the
background. It can be moved until it is
ironed.
6. Fuse the applique to the
surface with the iron on cotton setting for 3-5 seconds. (The directions says 10-15 seconds but I
think this is too long. I do not iron my
fusibles more than 3 seconds each time I use them. Too much heat can cause the fusible web to
darken. You can always go back and iron
again but you can’t take it back).
Misty Fuse
Misty Fuse
is a non paper-backed fusible. It
performs the same function as other fusible web products but is very sheer,
light weight, and does not add stiffness or bulk to layers of fabric. It can be used with very sheer fabrics and
lower temperatures.
However,
the absence of a paper backing means that you can not draw your design onto Misty Fuse and you must use a non-stick pressing
sheet or parchment paper in order to prevent the fusible from sticking to your
iron or ironing board.
Directions
for using Misty Fuse:
1. Draw your design or applique
onto freezer paper, Do not reverse.
2. Fuse Misty Fuse to the wrong side of your applique fabric.
·
Use
parchment paper or an applique pressing sheet to cover your ironing surface
·
Place
Misty Fuse on the non-stick sheet
·
Place
the applique fabric right side up (wrong side against the fusible) to cover the
Misty Fuse completely
·
Press
briefly using a medium heat setting
·
Fuse
a larger piece of fabric than your planned applique piece. Often people who like using Misty Fuse will pre-fused pieces of fabric so they
are ready to cut out for future projects
3. Press the freezer paper
template to the right side of the pre-fused fabric and cut it out. Keep the non-stick sheet under the fusible
side of the Misty Fuse.
4. Position the applique and
press with medium-high heat to permanently fuse.
Things
to remember with Misty Fuse:
·
You
must use an applique pressing sheet or parchment paper
·
It
can be used with sheer fabrics – like organza
·
You
do not need to reverse the design when you draw it since it will be attached to
the right side of the fabric and not flipped.
·
It
is solvent-free with no added adhesives so it does not gum up needles
Everybody has their favorite when it comes to
fusible web products. I prefer Bosal for my everyday fusible projects because it
comes on a bolt and is 15” wide so I can use it for large appliques. Heat n Bond Lite
and Heat n Bond Feather Lite also come on a
bolt and are both 17” wide so they are good options for large projects too, or
just for everyday. Steam-a-Seam 2 and Lite
Steam-a-Seam at Bright Hopes come on a roll 12” wide and are considered
by many to be the standard in fusible webs.
Shades SoftFuse comes in 8x9 inch sheets
(10 to a pack) and is great for smaller projects and projects where layering of
appliques is done since the fusible web is so soft. Misty Fuse
may deceive you, because it is so sheer, that small package carries a piece of
fusible that is 20” x 90” or 20” by 2.5 yards.
Misty Fuse can be a little persnickety
to work with, but it is worth it for the lightness of this fusible.
One tip to remember:
Fusible lasts better when fused to fabric. So if you have scraps laying around and like
to do fusible applique then just put some fusible web on them, take off the
paper backing (this is very important) and store them in a large plastic
storage bag to maintain the moisture in the fusible. Then the fabric will be ready to go whenever
you are! Fusibles can dry out over time
so if you have some you have not used it in a while and it is not working
properly – it just may be dried out.
Good things to have when working with fusible web
products are an applique pressing sheet and an iron-cleaning product, because
accidents do happen and it is best to be prepared. I always like to clean my iron after I use
fusible webs. Since I often do large
appliques I have two sizes of applique pressing sheets. I also keep a Teflon sheet, parchment paper,
and freezer paper handy.
I hope you have fun with fusibles !
Resources:
