Using a fabric glue stick to hold appliqué pieces in place while I sew has been one of my best discoveries ever.
Maybe a bunch of you do this already?
I have a very fraught relationship with glue. There are the glues that make your paper bubble and warp. The glues that seep beyond where you put them on fabric. The glues that stick your fingers together. The glues that don’t really stick like they should.
I have glue issues.
Usually my strategy is to come up with a solution that doesn’t involve glue – like this method for hooping finished embroidery pieces.
But last year I started using glue to hold my appliqué bits in place and I fell in love!
Let me count the ways. . .
- Fabric glue sticks are designed for use with fabric. They don’t seep through, and they’ll soften up after washing. They’re perfect for a temporary hold.
- They work really well on slightly napped fabrics like velvet and cuddle fleece. The beaver bits on that face you see above didn’t shift a smidge while I sewed them on with the machine.
- I especially love using fabric glue for hand appliqué. Pins distort the fabric and – even worse – my thread was constantly getting hung up on them. With the fabric glue stick I can position all the pieces right where I want them, stick them in place, and then whipstitch away. Everything stays perfectly flat and I never catch my thread on a pin. Joy!
I tried a few brands and they all worked well, but I’m carrying this one in my shop because it works well and is a great price. 🙂
If you have ways that you use fabric glue sticks, I’d love to hear them!
Happy stitching!
Best,
Wendi
I,m trying to make stuffed toys for children. Do u have any info and or patterns with instructions. I do not crochet only sewing. Thank u
Yes – there’s a ton of information here! Look at the Lessons & Tutorials in the sewing section and you’ll find a bunch of videos teaching you everything you need to make all kinds of softies. There are several free patterns in the Free Patterns section, and a TON of easy patterns in the shop under Soft Toy Patterns.
Hi, thank you for the cutest pattern out there! I made the mistake of using freezer paper on an entire puppies appliqué quilt instead of heat and bond lite. What is going to be the fate of all that work?
Thanks in advance for your advice.
Lisa
I don’t know if you’ve only printed the pieces or if you’ve already cut everything out – but it’s possible you can use the freezer paper applique method. Here’s the tutorial. https://www.shinyhappyworld.com/2013/07/machine-applique-lessons.html