Today, I thought I would talk a bit about fusible webbing.
Probably the most frequently asked question I receive is “what fusible web do you use”.
I know there are a handful of fusible webs available, but honestly I have only used one of them – Heat ‘n Bond Lite. It’s not because I dislike all the other brands, rather it’s because I listen to my Mom. HA!
My Mom owns a fantastic quilt shop (Merry’s Stitchins) and she has been quilting since . . . well for so long I can’t come up with an estimate number of years. When I began doing applique some 15 years ago, she showed me how to use Heat ‘n Bond Lite and I found this brand to be very easy to work with. My Mom always said she loved it because it doesn’t gum up your needle on your sewing machine. I have to agree. Even though I’ve not used other brands, I’ll listen to my Mom on this one.
For those of you who may be new to applique and using a fusible web, here is my #1 thought on the matter.
“Fusible webbing is your friend”.
Here’s why:
- one side of the fusible web is paper, to trace/draw your applique shapes upon it
- it easily bonds to your fabric in just seconds using a hot iron
- when you use nice sharp scissors, the edges of your appliques shapes don’t fray – how else do you think I get such nice clean applique shapes?
- then, when you have an applique shape exactly where you want it, just touch it with a hot iron and it bonds to the background fabric – keeping all shapes in place while you wrangle it with hand or machine stitching.
If you have not used a fusible web, I highly suggest giving it a try. If Heat ‘n Bond isn’t available, try whatever brand your local quilt shop carries. It should come with complete instructions and with a little practice it will make the method of applique fun.
Have questions or comments? I’m happy to help. Email me at: info@patchabilities.com
~Julie
