How To Use Fusible Interfacing For Quilting
Quilting is sometimes a complicated sewing process. You need to do some math to understand how many squares you need to complete a quilt. You also need to cut up the square fabric, sew them together and form bindings for them. To shorten the process, many quilters use fusible interfacing.
Fusible interfacing when used properly can help you save lots of time when making a quilt. Depending on the size of the quilt project, some fusible interfacing for quilting comes with boxes for your squares already drawn.
How Do You Use Fusible Interfacing For Quilting?
Determine the number of squares you need for your quilt. Then get your fusible interfacing and place it on your working surface with the sticky side up. You can get an interfacing that has boxes of the size of your quilt fabric square already drawn on it.
Place your quilt boxes onto the grids drawn on the interfacing. Then iron the fabric squares. This activates the adhesive on the fusible interfacing. Sew against each column of fabric to make it a patchwork piece and to enhance the hold of the fusible interfacing. Then sew the rows in place to complete your quilt.
Step 1. Do your math. To start with, you need to know how big of a project you need to complete. From here, you know how many squares you will need to make the project. When you have these, you can easily know the size of the interfacing you will need for your project. This is important as you don’t want to waste or damage interfacing by having excess.
Step 2. Now that you know how much interfacing you need for your project, you can purchase it. There are different types of interfacing suitable for quilting. You can get the interfacing that is already grided or you can buy a plain one for you to draw the grids on later when you are ready to start your project.
It is better if you buy a gridded fusible.
Step 3. Cut your fabric squares in the size you had determined earlier. The grids on the interfacing come in different sizes. You will buy interfacing with grids in the size of the square fabrics you need for your quilting project. Prepare or have your square fabrics ready to fix on the interfacing.
Step 4. Place your squares on the interfacing. Make sure that you have cut your squares to fit the grid squares. Also, ensure that you are placing them on the right side of the interfacing. You can easily identify the right side of the interfacing. It is rough and bumpy while the other side is soft.
As you place your squares, make sure they are straight and sit properly on the interfacing. Also, remember to follow your quilting pattern based on the color of the fabric of the squares. Place your squares in the full grid on the interfacing.
Step 5. When all the grids on the interfacing are filled, turn on your iron. Turn the heat settings high. When the iron is hot, place it on the column of fabric squares closest to you. Press for about ten seconds then lift and place on the next part of the column or the fusible. The heat from the iron activates the adhesive on the fusible interfacing. Continue pressing the boxes onto the interfacing until all of them are stuck in place.
When ironing, don’t slide your iron on the boxes. After pressing a few squares, lift the iron and place it on the next set of boxes. Sliding the iron may cause the boxes to move from their position before they are properly fixed by the adhesive. This could cause you to have some crooked boxes in your quilting pattern.
Stop ironing when all your square fabrics are properly in place on the fabric.
Step 6. It is now time to sew the fabric pieces onto the interfacing. This enhances their stackability on the interfacing and makes the work done a patchwork. To sew effectively, you need to start by sewing the columns then the rows.
Fold the first column on the interfacing and bring it to the sewing machine. Sew a seam along the entire column ¼ inches away from the fold of the column. Repeat this for all the other columns on the interfacing.
Step 7. Turn the fusible interfacing around so that you can see the stitches and the seams. At the point where the gridlines meet, use scissors to cut off the interfacing. This allows you to press seams in the opposite direction so that they are not thick.
Cut carefully so that you don’t remove the newly made stitches on the interfacing.
Step 8. When you have cut off the interfacing at all intersections, iron each row in the opposite direction. This is an effort to reduce the size of the seams on the interfacing to make for a lighter quilt.
Step 9. Now start sewing the rows. You will sew the rows just as you did with the column. Fold the rows and sew ¼ inches before the fold. Repeat for each row on the interfacing. While sewing the rows, confirm that the ironed seams are still facing the opposite direction. This ensures that the column and row seams nest properly.
Step 10. Now press the row seams in the same direction. This ensures that all the seams of the fabric pieces on the interface are now facing the same direction. When you have finished ironing from the back, flip the interfacing over. Press further from the right side to help flatten the seams completely.
Step 11. When the seams are lying flat, you have finished your fusible interfacing quilting project. You can use it as a pillow cover or anything else depending on the size of quilt panels and what you had decided to do with it at the beginning.
Using fusible interfacing for quilting allows you to make more accurate and precise seams than you would have made in the traditional sewing method. It also helps you to save time.
This method of quilting also seems more suitable for when you have small quilting projects. However, you can follow these steps for a larger project.
How To Use Fusible Interfacing For Applique?
Using fusible for applique makes your applique process fast and easy. It is highly accurate as all you need to do is pin your applique design onto the fusible and attach the interfacing onto a garment. Fusible interfacing also ensures that the applique remains permanently on the garment and prevents the garment or fabric from fraying.
The first thing you need to do is to make or choose an applique design. You can get this from a book, magazine or you can buy it. Applique designs are important to the owner of the garment that is being appliqued. The design could be something that the owner of the garment loves.
When you have the design, trace it onto the paper backing of your fusible interfacing. |You will use this as your design template. Cut out the template from the rest of the fusing ready to attach it to your chosen fabric or garment.
With your template ready, prepare your applique fabric. Make sure you have a good fabric to attach the template to. Wash, dry, and iron your piece of fabric before you attach your design to it. Flip your fabric so that the wrong side is facing up. Place your template on the fabric.
Next, iron your template onto the fabric. This makes the fusible interface stick on the fabric. Now, with your scissors, cut along the curves of your template so that you can reproduce the template shape on the fabric.
Remove the paper backing that you had traced your template on. What is left is a rough leathery surface. Place this applique design onto the end fabric or garment. Then press with your iron to activate the adhesive. Your applique will stick on your fabric.
What Are The Best Fabrics To Use With Interfacing?
When you use interfacing for any project, you need to consider the type of fabric you are using. Certain fabrics are easy to use with interfacing while others are not. Thus you need to know the best type of fabric to use with interfacing.
The best fabrics to use with interfacing are natural fabrics with a tight weave. These include fabrics such as cotton, silk, linen, and wool. You can use all types of interfacing with these fabrics. You can use iron-on or tear-away interfacing.
Interfacing makes your applique and embroidery projects easier and fast. Make sure that you have a good fabric to use the interfacing on. This ensures that you don’t damage your fabric as you applique or embroidery it with interfacing. However, there are many types of interfacing you can use for different types of fabric and projects.
Crafting has always been a deep-seated passion of mine, one that has flourished and evolved over the years.
I've dedicated considerable time to both studying and practicing in the realm of fashion and sewing, amassing a wealth of experience and skills.
It brings me great joy to share these insights and experiences with you all, hoping to inspire and foster a similar passion for the art of sewing.
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