Chicago School of Fusing Etiquette 101
Copyright 2010 Laura Wasilowski
- Some brands of fusible are difficult to stitch through or change the surface of your fabric. Recommended are Wonder Under (paper backed #805). For light weight silks use Misty Fuse and a Teflon pressing sheet.
- Transfer the glue with a hot (cotton setting), dry iron for 7 seconds. Place the fabric down with rough side or glue side of the paper on top. The iron touches the paper. Follow instructions that come with the web.
- Hand-dyed and batik fabrics work best because the color penetrates through the fabric. Fuse elements from printed fabrics with a white back will show a white edge.
- Fabrics with higher thread count fuse better and fray less when cut.
- Wash and iron your fabric to remove any starch before fusing. Do not use fabric softener. (Note: A permanent press fabric does not fuse well. Permanent press does NOT wash out.)
- Fabric that bubbles or ripples when fused will flatten out when the paper is peeled off.
- If the web separates from the release paper it is still usable. Just place the web on the fabric, put the release paper on top and fuse into place.
- Always let the fabric and web cool before removing the paper. It may take from 10 to 30 minutes for the glue to re-solidify and the paper to be easily removed depending on the humidity in the air.
- Paper without glue is called release paper. Save the release paper. This paper can be fused to over and over again.
- Use release paper for assembling fused collages, storing fused scraps, protecting the ironing board, and pattern making. Either side of Wonder Under release paper can be fused to.
- Remove the release paper in one piece by first fanning with a finger then swiping your hand between the fabric and paper. Feel for gummy areas where the iron didn't cover and re-fuse.
- Peel the paper off the fused fabric before cutting. Paper dulls scissors and cutting blades. Also fabric edges may fray if paper is peeled off a cut shape.
- Always use sharp scissors and rotary cutter blades. Dull tools fray the fabric.
- If you leave the paper on when cutting out a pattern piece, easily remove it by gently slicing the paper in the center of the fabric with the tip of your scissors and peeling from the center.
- When cutting a stack of fused fabric, do not place fused sides together or they may be difficult to separate. Up to 3 layers of fused fabric shapes can be cut out at one time.
- Cut fused fabrics web-side up when using a rotary cutter so the glue side does not stick to the mat and fray fabric upon removal. Also, it is easier to see areas where there is no glue.
- Whenever possible, overlap dark colored fabrics on top of light value fabrics. Dark fabrics may cast a shadow if placed under light value fabrics.
- Fuse-tack elements for only 5 seconds and with little pressure. Too much heat applied repeatedly will weaken the glue, burn it into the fabric, change the fabric color, make the fabric stiff, and over-fused fabric will no long adhere to other fabrics. Elements that are fuse-tacked can be easily removed although some fibers and glue may remain on the base fabric.
- Test your batting before fusing your quilt on top. Some battings have a scrim side that may cause the quilt to ripple. Hobb's Heirloom Premium 80/20 batting works best.
- Once complete, steam set the quilt top to the batt for 10 seconds using a dry press cloth.
- Save all your fused scraps. They are great for tiny elements and collage work.
- And most importantly, keep the iron and ironing surface free of fusible web. If the web touches a hot iron, the glue may transfer to the surface of your quilt. Keep irons clean with Iron Off or other cleaners that remove the glue.
Pattern Transfer onto Fused Fabrics
- Fuse all the fabrics for the quilt top using Wonder Under #805 Paper Backed Fusible Web .
- After the fabric cools, remove the release paper in one sheet and keep it for the pattern transfer.
- Trace a shape or draws a shape onto the release paper with a black Sharpie marker or lead pencil. (Use a quilter's silver marking pencil for dark fabrics.)
- Place the drawn side or ink side of the paper to the glue side of the fabric. Iron for 5 seconds.
- After the paper cools, remove the paper. The ink will transfer to the fabric.
- Cut out the shape just inside the black line.
- There is no mirror imaging of the shape. The shape you draw is the shape you get.
Fused Binding Directions
1. After steam setting the quilt top to the batting for 10 seconds (using a dry pressing cloth), add the quilt backing fabric and hand stitch or machine stitch the quilt sandwich.
2. Trim the quilt square with a ruler and rotary cutter and add a rod pocket if necessary.
3. Cut 4 binding strips (fused fabric) measuring about 1 1/4" wide with a decorative rotary cutter blade. Cut 2 strips the length of the quilt for the side bindings. Cut 2 strips the width of the quilt plus 2" for the top and bottom binding.
4. Place the quilt right side up on the release paper and overlap the side binding about 1/2" on top of the side of the quilt. Fuse-tack into place. After the fabric cools, remove the quilt from the paper and fold the binding onto the back of the quilt. Fuse-tack into place.
5. Repeat Step 4 for the other side of the quilt.
6. Place the quilt right side up on the release paper and center the top binding strip across the top edge of the quilt. (There will be a 1" flap extending from each end of the quilt.) Overlap the binding about 1/2" onto the top edge. Fuse-tack into place.
7. Remove the quilt from the release paper and cut off 1/2" triangles from the top outside corners of the binding flaps.
8. Fold the 2 side flaps in toward the quilt. Align the fold with the edge of the quilt. Fuse-tack into place.
9. Fold the corner of the binding down to the back edge of the quilt at a 45 angle as if wrapping a package.
10. Fold the rest of the binding down on the back of the quilt. Make sure the corners are crisp and square. Fuse-tack into place.
11. Repeat Steps 6 - 10 for the bottom binding.
12. Steam set the binding. Stitch the binding by machine or by hand.
Wrapped Binding Directions
(Note that 1" of design space is lost around the composition for the Wrapped Binding because the edges are wrapped to the back of the quilt.)
1. Stack the Timtex and batting on the cutting mat and trim each edge into the shape you want. For a wavy edge, cut curves in and out that measure about 1/4" to 1/2" deep with a rotary cutter. Mark a corner of the Timtex and the batting where they match up.
2. Remove the release paper from your fused quilt top. Center the batting on the back of the quilt top. Flip the batting and quilt top over holding everything in place and place onto release paper.
3. Steam set the quilt top to the batting for about 10 seconds in each spot. After it cools, remove it from the release paper.
4. Add hand stitching with a pearl cotton thread and an embroidery needle.
5. Place the quilt top right-side down on the ironing surface. Match the Timtex shape to the batting where the marks are and put in place.
2. Remove the release paper from your fused quilt top. Center the batting on the back of the quilt top. Flip the batting and quilt top over holding everything in place and place onto release paper.
3. Steam set the quilt top to the batting for about 10 seconds in each spot. After it cools, remove it from the release paper.
4. Add hand stitching with a pearl cotton thread and an embroidery needle.
5. Place the quilt top right-side down on the ironing surface. Match the Timtex shape to the batting where the marks are and put in place.
6. At a corner, fold the quilt top fabric onto the Timtex to form a right angle. Leave a little ease at the tip of the corner to get a sharp point. Fuse-tack the fabric just at the corner.
7. Repeat Step 6 at each corner of the quilt.
8. At a corner, fold one side of the quilt top fabric onto the Timtex. Slowly pull, wrap, and fuse-tack the quilt top to the back following the edge of the Timtex. Stop about mid-way down the edge.
9. At that same corner, fold the other side of the quilt top fabric onto the Timtex making a sharp point at the corner. Slowly pull, wrap, and fuse-tack the quilt top to the back following the edge of the Timtex. Stop about mid-way down the edge.
10. Repeat Steps 8 - 9 around the perimeter of the quilt.
11. Machine stitch the quilt now or after Step 16.
12. Cut 4 strips of fusible web measuring about 1" wide. Cut 2 the length of the backing fabric and 2 the width of the backing fabric.
13. Place the strips of fusible web, glue sides down, around the perimeter of the wrong side of the backing fabric. Fuse into place. After the fabric cools, remove the release paper.
14. Trim about 1/2" from the perimeter of the backing fabric using a decorative blade.
15. Center the backing fabric, glue side down, onto the back of the quilt. Fuse-tack into place.
16. Steam set the back of the quilt.
17. Machine stitch the quilt (if not stitched in Step 11).
18. Add a hanging loop to the back of the quilt.
7. Repeat Step 6 at each corner of the quilt.
8. At a corner, fold one side of the quilt top fabric onto the Timtex. Slowly pull, wrap, and fuse-tack the quilt top to the back following the edge of the Timtex. Stop about mid-way down the edge.
9. At that same corner, fold the other side of the quilt top fabric onto the Timtex making a sharp point at the corner. Slowly pull, wrap, and fuse-tack the quilt top to the back following the edge of the Timtex. Stop about mid-way down the edge.
10. Repeat Steps 8 - 9 around the perimeter of the quilt.
11. Machine stitch the quilt now or after Step 16.
12. Cut 4 strips of fusible web measuring about 1" wide. Cut 2 the length of the backing fabric and 2 the width of the backing fabric.
13. Place the strips of fusible web, glue sides down, around the perimeter of the wrong side of the backing fabric. Fuse into place. After the fabric cools, remove the release paper.
14. Trim about 1/2" from the perimeter of the backing fabric using a decorative blade.
15. Center the backing fabric, glue side down, onto the back of the quilt. Fuse-tack into place.
16. Steam set the back of the quilt.
17. Machine stitch the quilt (if not stitched in Step 11).
18. Add a hanging loop to the back of the quilt.
Posts
I Love TheHIVE
