What is it? – Welcome to the wonderful world of Wonder Fuse. What is it? It’s appliqué. Well, more accurately, it’s how you do appliqué. Why do we want to do appliqué? Unlimited creative potential. We can take any fabric, plain or with design, and cut it in any shape to represent pieces of any scene intended by the artist and then attach them all together permanently to embellish our finished project. What genres does it apply to? All of them. This art form is used extensively in quilting, fashion (both decoration and construction), home decor, crafting or any other decorative endeavor accomplished with woven textiles. Geometric patterns or inspirational scenes can be created by simply applying the component pieces of fabric to a larger base fabric and attaching them with either an adhesive, with stitches or with both. Or maybe it’s not so simple. Once we’ve decided on our design and have selected the appropriate fabrics we need to cut and shape them precisely and attach them to the base fabric either permanently or to hold them in place while applying decorative stitching to the edges. The “go to” method most often used is some type of fusible interfacing. To achieve the finished look that we all desire it’s important that this fusible product cover well enough to prevent fraying on the edges of the fabric pieces while also being soft enough to ensure that the appliqué pieces do not become stiff or bulky. And that perfectly describes Wonder Fuse, the new fusible fabric designed by Clover for those who live to appliqué.
What does it do? – Wonder Fuse was developed by Clover as a premium fusible fabric especially suited for appliqué in all forms. It is a soft, lightweight paperbacked fusible fine enough to bond with even the most minute fibers, ensuring our edges are always clean and smooth. No loose fibers. If we don’t intend to apply stitches to the edges or our appliqué pieces we are complete at this point with a polished, professional finished appearance. However, if we intend to wear or launder our project we’ll want to apply stitches to the edges to ensure permanency. This is easily accomplished with either a zigzag, blanket or any number of other decorative stitches. And just as important, the lightweight construction of Wonder Fuse becomes virtually invisible between layers of fabric, adding neither bulk nor stiffness. A few quick tips to improve your finished appliqué project would be:
Always wash and iron your fabrics before fusing them. Any wrinkles that are present when you fuse the fabric will become permanent wrinkles.
When tracing your pattern on the Wonder Fuse remember that it will produce a mirror image. This is especially important when using letters.
Fuse the pattern on your fabric before doing the final trim of the design. This fused cut will produce a cleaner finish of the edges on your appliqué pieces.
How do I share it? – Samples are the best way to create interest. Put together some quilting or home decor projects showing both geometric patterns and artistic scenes. Appliqué is a perfect way to personalize clothing items like “hoodies”, jackets or t-shirts. Tote bags or hats are fun too. It’s also a great way to “re-purpose” older clothing items. If appropriate, jazz them up with some decorative threads and stitches. The design opportunities are unlimited. Offer a beginner’s class. Once your friends see how easy it is to create beautiful appliqué they’ll gain confidence and take it from there.
