Interfacing secrets revealed!

As anyone who uses lots of interfacings knows, the only way to fully understand interfacings is to try them out on different fabrics and for different purposes. Eventually, you'll start to understand what the likely outcome will be.

We have a few sample packs left over from the Stitches and Craft Show. Each pack contains a random assortment of interfacings and support materials - all labelled so that you know what they are. Most pieces are large enough to test on a bag base or small purse.

If you're feeling a bit lost when it comes to choosing the appropriate support for your bag and purse projects, this could be for you. For $7.50 you can take a great leap forward in your ability to make the right choice.

Packs are limited, and limited to one per customer, and they are available HERE!

Slightly besotted and gushy....

Who'd have thought that a roll of interfacing could inspire such a long and image-heavy blog post....? (Stand back while I reveal to you the true and full extent of my sewing geekery....!).

This little lovely arrived all the way (by ship) from Germany this week. Today I had a chance to play with it.

I'm now wishing I'd specially-ordered-months-and-months-ago a few MORE rolls of it.... I think I'm in love.

Vilene S320 is a fusible non-woven... but not as we know fusible non-wovens - at least not in these here parts. (I'm not sure why, but until I nagged my favourite interfacing rep about it, this product wasn't available in Australia. As far as I know, I'm the only one who has it now).

The embossed texture gives it a suppleness that isn't found in standard non-wovens.

The fused result is stiff, lightweight.... not cardboardy.... The fabric moves a bit like oilcloth when you scrunch it and it springs back into shape.

It will sit flat and support its weight on one finger if you .... ummmm.. lift it up with one finger. (I'm sure that's useful...?).

I'm missing the fedora that I sent to Kleins in London (the one I made using the sampling piece of Vilene S320 that prompted the specially-brought-in-from-Germany order), so have started on a replica. I block-fused medium-heavy interfacing first, and then Vilene S320 over the back of that. Then I cut the hat pieces.

The fused fabric bends smoothly, can be steamed into shape (and holds the shape) and performs all the self-supporting-on-one-finger tricks that one would expect.

The fusing glue is unbelievably strong!!! It's made to survive laundering and drycleaning.... as well as withstanding steaming the bejaysus out of it and trying to tear/scratch it off.....

Note to self: Do not test interfacing on brand new fabric that you hope to use (without tested interfacing thoroughly attached...).

So... interfacing thoroughly attached, I whipped up a quick kids hat.

I THINK THIS IS THE BEST INTERFACING I HAVE EVER USED ON A BRIM!!!!

The crown is quite stiff for a small child's hat - great for an adult or older kid. I'd probably go the medium-heavy interfacing on the crown next time (on quilting fabric) but the brim...... ohhh.... I'm LOVING it! It's simply one layer of S320 on each brim piece and it creates the perfect structure with very little weight.

I can't wait to try it out on BAGS....


I told you I was gushing, didn't I?


PS. You can buy it here.... and I only have 25 metres of it so get in fast!

EDITED TO ADD: We've now sold out, but will definitely be getting some more in (it should arrive in January).

Peltex Ponderings

Because of the number of American patterns that recommend Peltex interfacing (and therefore the number of customers asking us for it) we've been keen to get our hands on some for a while. After much nagging of a sales rep I've managed to convince our supplier to bring it in to the country. Now I have to play with it and find out what it's all about.
My initial observations were that it's a bit like a looser, coarser version of Fast2Fuse - more pliable and slightly thicker. The glue is in globules rather than spread over the surface. It fused on nicely to my test piece of homespun cotton.

And then I rolled it and got a bit of a shock...

I'm used to Fast2Fuse doing this...

Ah... but then I realised I was rolling against the grain!! When it's rolled in the OTHER direction it does this......which is what Fast2Fuse does when you roll it against the grain. (In fact, I'm not sure which product this photo is actually of - Fast2Fuse on the wrong grain or Peltex on the right one - they really are VERY similar). This was a revelation to me - I hadn't realised that there actually WAS a grain in Fast2Fuse!!

A layer of medium-heavy interfacing between the fabric and the Peltex/Fast2Fuse softened the ripples on the surface, but didn't completley erase them on the Peltex.

(...oops! I can't spell PELTEX...)And THEN..... I tried a layer of light fusible wadding between the fabric and the stiff stuff.... and fell in love with Peltex.The surface of the fabric was softened by the wadding and the Peltex gave it stand-up support -without being as cardboard-box-like as Fast2Fuse can be (when you're sewing a bag that is completely interfaced with it).

I think the two products each have their pros and cons. (The most obvious balance is that Fast2Fuse is finer, smoother and more rigid than Peltex - and Peltex is half the price of Fast2Fuse).

I have to decide whether to stock it or not. I feel obliged to at least give it a go - having hassled that poor interfacing rep for the last four years...! I'd be really interested to hear your thoughts and experiences with Peltex - if you have any. Would you buy it, have you bought it, any hot tips for using it, does the price difference affect your purchase decision....? I'd love to know more about it from a user's point-of-view and any help is greatly appreciated!

Troubleshooting Interfacing Woes...

OOPS....This is what happens when you press delicate interfacing with a searing, steaming, linen-setting iron. It shrinks and bubbles - rippling the fabric up. If you do this in the EARLY stages of cutting and fusing you can rip the interfacing off, press the fabric and fuse a new piece of interfacing on. When you're half-way through making the bag up you just have to try to fix things up as best you can.

(BTW - My fashion industry friend did exactly the same thing when we were sewing yesterday. We laughed about the habits of industry-trained sewing types who - no matter what the fabric is - always have the iron set on linen and high steam. Good to know I'm not alone in the steam the bejaysus out of everything camp!!).

If you use good quality woven interfacing IT CAN BE FIXED!! .... a bit. (If this happens with non-woven interfacing you're in a spot of trouble. It's hard to resurrect shrunken synthetic fibres).

Step 1. Turn your iron back to COTTON setting.

Step 2. Press and STRETCH out the fabric to flatten out the puckers and wrinkles. Press down REALLY HARD with the iron. Smooth it with your hands (as much as you can without burning them on the hot fabric) and hold it flat until it cools.

The pic below shows the same piece still on the (sleeve) ironing board - nice and flat.

Step 3. Once you take the fabric off the ironing board and move it around you might still see small ripples, but it won't be too bad - not visible on most fabrics from a few feet away. (Unfortunatley most people look at my samples REALLY CLOSELY!!!).

Treat the bag kindly and press it back into shape as required. It'll always be prone to a bit of wrinkling.

NOW.... This is what I SHOULD have done before I started the bag....What is it that I tell everyone who asks me an interfacing question.....? TEST IT ON A SCRAP OF FABRIC FIRST!!!!

HINDSIGHT IS A WONDERFUL THING.... If I'd tested a few options I would have discovered that the Medium-heavy interfacing (above) was the one I needed. It would have given the fabric the structure I wanted and it can take any amount of heat (in fact it NEEDS a super-duper hot iron to set it!). This particular bag needed lots of pressing and I should have thought that out before I put in an interfacing that likes very LITTLE pressing.... Having chosen the wrong interfacing, I wish I'd checked that the iron was on an appropriate setting.... and I wish I'd had a manicure before I took that photo....

Oh no - but I thought I knew it all...

I have a quote from the fabulously ironic Jane Austen pinned to the wall (above the iron!) in my studio. "Why not seize the pleasure at once? How often is happiness destroyed by preparation, foolish preparation!.."

Vlieseline have a search function on their website to help you choose the right interfacing for the job. A bit of research and a bit of testing can save a lot of pain. But in the absence of forethought, please refer to the tutorial, above....

A few hints for using interfacing...

Using the correct interfacing -and the correct application of it - can be the difference between a "home-made" and "hand-made" bag. Here are a few hints for success...

1. Use good quality interfacing. Cheap interfacing is often more trouble than it's worth.

2. You need a good iron. One with a lot of heat and steam, and a reliable thermostat. I don't have any particular recommendations (but I'd love to hear if you do). I go through loads of irons, and the only recommendation I have is "don't spend less than $60" (AUD).

3. Remember that lighter interfacings are more heat-sensitive than heavy interfacing. Light to medium-light interfacings don't like more than a COTTON setting on your iron - otherwise they'll shrivel up and wrinkle your fabric. Heavier interfacings like a HOT HOT HOT iron, lots of PRESSURE.... and STEAM is also highly effective (I don't care what the books say).

4. Press your fabric before you fuse interfacing to it. Failure to do this may result in unwanted permanent wrinkles!! (Perhaps that's what happened to my FACE...???).

5. Double-check that you have the GLUE side down to the back of the fabric. It's usually shiny or grainy. A plastic feel. If it's the the wrong way around you'll either make a mess of your iron or interface your pressing cloth.
6. Use a Rajah Cloth to protect heat-sensitive fabrics from the iron when you're pressing heavy interfacing to it. I often use (an old) one under the fabric and (a new) one over the back of the interfacing - this protects the fabric, the ironing board and the iron!
7. Press in a DOWNWARD direction. Don't slide your iron around while you're pushing down on it, or the interfacing might move and fuse in the wrong place. Hold the iron down for 5-10 seconds before gliding it gently to the next unfused area... hold it down again. Shoot steam through if it's being particularly obstinate and refusing to stick. If you see bubbles like this... STEAM AND PRESS them down!!!8. Once the interfacing is stuck into place, give the fabric a really good press from the right side. This will iron out any remaining bubbles and smooth the surface of the fabric.
9. If you do a LOT of interfacing, you might consider something like an Elna Press. (I bought mine on Ebay for $76 (!!) but they can be pretty pricey if you buy them new). They make it SUPER-EASY to fuse evenly.... you press your fabric, line up the interfacing.... Rajah Cloth if necessary....

...close the lid...
....see the difference (below) between the fused and un-fused bits..? You have to move larger pieces around a little to get all the area covered.
Close the lid again, then ... oooh-ahhh... nice and flat!
I have to add at this point, that despite having made my living from making clothing, hats and bags for close to twenty years, I only bought the Elna Press this year. I'm still in the honeymoon stage with it!!!

A few words about seam allowances...

Well, as anyone who has been to one of my bag-making classes knows, I really have a LOT of words to say on the subject.

I bang on endlessly about the importance of snipping and clipping seam allowances and "giving that wadding a little haircut...", and I use the term "reduce the bulk in the seam allowances" more than anyone else I know.

I leave interfacing and wadding on seam allowances when I want to create a structured edge on a topstitched bag flap - or to make a flat-stitched side-seam stand upright - but yesterday I didn't want to topstitch the Clutch flap. I was going for a clean-line look. I treated the seam allowances as I would on a seam that I wanted to press open and flat, and not topstitch.

HOW TO REDUCE BULKY SEAM ALLOWANCES

1. Pull the wadding and interfacing away from the seam allowance. 2. Trim off the interfacing as close to the stitching line as possible. ("You could use your duckbills for that", as my wee girl would advise. Nothing like a two-year-old who knows her sewing tools, huh?).

BTW - I love my duckbill scissors. They hold back and protect the seam allowances as you snip with the pointy upper blade. 3. Trim the interfacing AND wadding off the other side and clip the corners of the seam allowances.
4. Press the seams open (oops- forgot to take a photo)

5. Turn the flap through to the right side (I can show you a good "pointy corner" trick, but you'll have to come to a class for that because it's an ACTION demonstration!!).

6. Give it a good steamy press!

Of course you can always cut your seam allowances off your interfacing before you fuse it, but I find that I can be more accurate with the trimming if I leave it on until it's sewn. I also do a lot of block-fusing of fabric and interfacing before I cut out small bags and purses - that's more accurate, too.

Copyright Nicole Mallalieu 2008

Edited to add: Duckbill scissors are now available here!

Laptop Bag Pictures

Here's one I prepared earlier...You can see a bit of bias tape action around the edges of the flap, and on the internal divider pocket, too!!
Can you see how I've managed to complicate/prolong the instuction-writing process...?
I'm also experimenting with different interfacings and stabilisers to get it JUST RIGHT to carry a computer safely and snugly.

Good things come to those who wait.... and this is going to be VERY GOOD. But you're going to have to wait a little bit longer.... sorry (insert apologetic, kind-of wincing smile here).

This is my.... trade secret

Hmmm... I'm not very good at keeping trade secrets. I'm in the business of SHARING THEM!! For starters, I'm putting them all up on THIS BLOG this month!!!


I've definitely turned into GADGET GIRL in the last year or two. The things that I can't live without I tend to want to share.... and so grows the range of supplies we stock.


Other trade secrets -

• GOOD QUALITY MATERIALS - from the inside out. Cheap fabrics and cheap interfacing are just not worth the trouble.
• The right interfacing for the job makes the world of difference.
• "Press as you go" when you're sewing, and use an iron with a good shot of steam.
  

Amelia came up with this weeks theme for Angela's "This Is..." meme.

Bag Base Tutorial 2 - Fast2Fuse

I love Fast2Fuse. It's a thickish, non-woven interfacing/stabiliser that gives loads of support to fabric, but is still flexible enough to manipulate around a sewing machine.


It's also machine washable (it presses back into shape!) and is fusible on both sides.

Medium weight Fast2Fuse is great for creating support in the body of the bag.

My preferred use for the Heavyweight Fast2Fuse is as a bag base. It creates support without rigidity - unlike template plastic, it doesn't have a sharp edge so is nice and comfy on bags that sit against the body. (Apparently people also use it to make fabric bowls... I'm just trying to work out when you'd use a fabric bowl!!???).


Heres How to Make a Fast2Fuse Bag Base.....

1. Cut the Fast2Fuse to fit the size of the bag base (see instructions for cutting a Template Plastic Base). With Fast2Fuse, you don’t have to round off the corners.

2. Cut a piece of light cotton fabric (calico will do) a little over an inch longer than the length of the Fast2Fuse base, and wide enough to wrap around the width of it. OR if you want to make the base a bit stiffer you can use a fusible woven interfacing instead of the calico.

3. Fold the fabric over the Fast2Fuse and iron it on both sides, until the fabric is firmly fused.
4. Trim the excess fabric off the long edge of the Fast2Fuse, leaving a seam allowance of at least half an inch on the shorter ends.
5. Sew around the edges of the fabric, securing it to the Fast2Fuse. If the base is wider than about 4cm (and if you're as paranoid as I am about things coming UNDONE) you might like to also sew an x-shape through the centre of the base. (NOTE: This may be completely superfluous... I just like to be SURE things are going to stay put!!)

6. Lay the Fast2Fuse against the base of the bag, and sew the seam allowances of the bag base to the fabric at the ends of the Fast2Fuse base.Apologies for the black and white pictures for this tutorial. I've lifted them straight off the print-friendly-but-bandwidth-heavy pdf!!!

Copyright Nicole Mallalieu 2005