Thread: Thermoweb Heat'n Bond Lite Iron-on Adhesive

It is a bit stiffer than steam a seam, its must be sewn once fused. One word of caution with Heat and Bond lite... if you use it on some batiks it will leave a "stain"that shows through to the right side of the fabric. Its a dark oil like mark, that no matter what you use it will NOT come out. I use Heat and bond lite to temporarily hold a large piece of a quilt in place till I could quilt it.... The 1/2 in strip I used ... once I ironed the top was permanently "stained" in a 1/2 inch straight line where I had used the Heat and Bond Lite.
I have never had this experience with steam a seam. Personally I think the bond of steam a seam lite 2 is stronger than Heat and Bond lite.

I use Heat and bond lite and have never had a stain-thru problem. When I use it, I just leave a small (1/4 inch) on the inside so I don't get the stiffness in the middle of the larger pieces.

Originally Posted by ckcowl

i've been using heat n bond lite for years- the difference is (steam a seam you use steam to fuse it) heat N bond you use a dry iron.
i've also used it with many batiks and have never had the (stain) problem mentioned above...i did have a problem once when i used an iron that was way too hot & i kept it on the fabric way too long-
the issue that was described above with the batik could easily have been caused by the wax in the fabric not being completely washed away- sometimes you will get a batik that still has a waxy feel to it- those unless you pre-wash in hot water-remove the excess wax can cause some problems using any fusable. i'd say her problem was a problem with the fabric not with the fusable product being used.

I really beg to differ as I tested other batiks and had similiar results, I prewashed with hot water etc and still had issues with Heat and Bond leaving a stain. The issue with the different fabrics reacting differently with the Heat and Bond is exactly what I was cautioning. The same fabrics had no issue with steam a seam.

I used this exact product on my house quilt wall hanging. Keep in mind....my experience at this point in any quilting endeavor is totally my first attempt! #1 I could not hand quilt anywhere I used this stuff. #2 I have stain marks where I used it on more expensive fabric scraps. It could be the fabric someone mentioned above starting with a "b". LOL. The product for sure serves its purposes, however, I know now where to use it and not to use it. Good luck. I too will watch for others suggestions on like products.

Honestly, I prefer Steam a Seam myself, simply because Heat Bond does seem to leave any projects stiffer and harder to quilt through. One thing that works BETTER than the Steam a Seam is a spray on batting! I've got the Dritz Basting Spray, and I managed to get 6 quilts together out of one can before it gave out! And it is LOADS faster than steam a seam. It has also worked well with a recent applique project.