Tips, Problems and Cures

Always...always...always use parchment over and under items that is being bonded to. The glue on becomes liquid when heat is applied and it can seep through the fabric. This feature allows for a accent to literally fuse into and become a part of the base fabric rather than just being an item glued onto the top of the fabric. Under some circumstances the glue can seep all of the way through to the iron or ironing board. Without parchment to act as a shield it can cause damage. Also, synthetic fabrics have a low melting point and can easily be damaged with too much heat. Parchment not only protects the , it also protects the fabric that it is being used on.

Be sure and turn all garnments inside out before washing. Use cold or warm water, no bleach, and air dry. DO NOT put into a clothes dryer.

Q. Is there a heat setting that i should be using?

A. Do not add more heat than 170 degrees fahrenheit which is the cotton setting on an iron. A higher heat can damage the . Natural fabrids like cotton, wool or linen can take more heat than 170 degrees, but polyesters cannot. If bonding to a heavier fabric, stay on the cotton setting and apply heat for a longer period of time. Be sure to turn the fabric over and apply heat to the back.

Q. My design has started to lift on one of the edges, can i fix it?

A. Yes! While rare, the does lift a bit after wear and washing. Just take the item back to the iron and reattach it with heat. Most of the time this works. If not, use a touch of fabric glue to reattach it.

Lifting around the edges was the bigest complaint encountered during the test trials. What we discovered was that the heating element in most irons does not go all of the way to the edge of the iron. This causes the temperature to be several degrees lower around the edges of the ironing area as a result the edges get less heat and lest time, thus they do not bond as well as the center. Always turn the item over and heat from the back.

Q. How do I transfer my design onto the ?

A. The backing paper on is extremely slick. This causes problems when applying a pattern to trace onto it. Most ink pens WILL NOT mark on this paper. Permanent markers and pencils will both draw on the paper. Often it is not feasible to pin a pattern in place on the . We have found that the easiest way to hold a pettern in place is to put a drop of hot glue on the backing and press the pattern into it. This makes only a temporary bond as the glue easily lifts off the packing. But it will hold long enough to outline a pattern.

Q. My design mirrored, what happened?

A. A lot of patterns are lost because of forgetting that a pattern drawn on the backling will be flipped when the is turned over. Make sure to keep this in mind when marking a pattern. Watch our How to video for refrences.

Q. How dow I remove the from the backing paper?

A. To remove from its backling paper, use a straight pin to lift the edge of the fabfic and gently pull it up to get a lift started. It is almost impossible to remove the paper by trying to lift it from the paper side. Alwasy lift from the fabric side.

Q. If the glue is permanent, what happens if a is glued to another ?

A. When working with , if a glue surface touches a glue surface they will bond together and it is almost impossible to get the two surfaces apart. Is a probability that piece is ruined and you almost always have to discard it and star over. When lifting the backing from a large or complex pattern, lift only a small area a a time. Iron this section down. Fold back and lift another small area and iron it down. Continue in this manner until the entire pattern has been bonded. It is usually not a good idea to lift the paper off of a large item all at once. Watch our How to video for reference.

Q. Is it difficult to work with multiple colors at once?

A. When layering colors of beside or on top of each other completely finish the piece before bonding it to the base fabric. If a mistake happens after the piece has been bonded to a garnment, the entire garnment is ruined so make this last thing that you do. As long as the backing paper on the piece is intact it can be handled without damage.

Q. Sometimes really small details and pointed edges does come with the fabric, is it fixable?

A. Yes, sometimes when lifting the from the paper backing the glue on small or pointed edges does not lift with the fabric. If you lose this glue go ahead and bond the piece to your garment and then use a dot of fabric glue to bond the loose edge. For large or complex pieces we recommend that after cutting out the piece you iron it before removing the backing paper to adhere the glue more firmly to the fabric.

Q. Can i wash my new clothes in a washing machine?

A. Yes! Be sure to turn all garments inside out before washing. Use cold or warm water, no bleach and air dry. DO NOT put in a clothes drying.

Have another question? Send us a message with your question and we will get back at you as soon as possible!