What is it? – Fashion, fashion accessories, heirloom sewing, quilting or home decor. At one time or another all of these project genres present us with a blank canvas to which we can apply our own creative brilliance. Or maybe we can just plagiarize someone else’s brilliance just a little. In any case, we’ve found a really cool design that would be perfect on our project. Take it to the next level. Unfortunately that design is often in a magazine, part of an individual picture, on another sewn project, in an old coloring book or perhaps it’s even some original and personally meaningful piece of art. Maybe we’ve found some great Celtic designs or an amazing floral or the most perfect quilting stencil. And what about doing mirror images? Can we do those? How do we do those? The creative opportunities to apply a unique design to any project are endless. But there is a problem. How do we get any of those designs from the paper source to our fabric destination? And not just on to the fabric but exactly where we want it to be on the fabric? Tracing paper or a light box? Those work but they’re kind of pricey and they have their limitations. Tulle or net fabric can be used but they stretch and are difficult to hold in place while tracing. When precision is key they are not the answer either. So what is the answer? Clover’s Mesh Transfer Canvas, that’s the answer. It was designed by the creative folks at Clover to enable all of your creative design transfer needs. Clover’s Mesh Transfer Canvas is the perfect solution to our design transfer challenges. It allows us to easily transfer our sewing, quilting, applique, and embroidery patterns or even fashion construction markings to our fabric with ease and precision. It takes all of the trepidation out of transfer.
What do they do? – Clover’s Mesh Transfer Canvas is designed specifically for transferring design layouts. It is a visually porous material that overlays the design we want to copy. Simply trace over the design onto the canvas with a soft point pen or chalk based pencil. Since the canvas is porous we can see through it for precision placement of the design onto our project. Once it’s in the desired position we just trace over it once again with our marking pen or pencil and the design transfer to our fabric (or other medium) is complete. Some important things to keep in mind about the Mesh Transfer Canvas:
The canvas does not stretch so all of our markings will be consistent with the original.
Once the design is traced on to the canvas it can be used over and over until it is no longer needed and you remove it.
If you want to do mirror images just flip the mat over and continue to trace. Can’t do that with a light table.
For stenciling on a quilt it’s easy to move the canvas to the next quilt block and line up the new starting point with the end of the previous marking.
There is a slick side and a matte side to the canvas. Either side can be used depending on your marking medium. Chalk/wax pens work best on the slick side while felt tip pens work best on the matte side.
By using pens or pencils with different colors you can trace multiple designs or combine designs or even overlap designs.
Clover’s Chacopel Fine pencils and Water Erasable Markers are perfect accessories for the Mesh Transfer Canvas.
How do I share it? – Clover’s Mesh Transfer Canvas is the absolute easiest way to transfer designs or pattern markings onto our fabric. Clear, precise lines and marks that enable us to achieve our creative vision. The best way to share it is to show it. Set out a canvas, some fabric, pens and a few graphic designs and allow interested parties to complete the design process. This is certainly one of those products that elicit the “where have you been all of my life” response once it has been put to use. And, of course, feature it in your classes. Once people see how easy and effective it is to apply they’ll be looking at ways to use it.
