Hi, from New Brunswick, Canada. Was hoping to get some pointers to better my applique work. I make shirt/jackets for horse shows and machine sew some leather hand cut (I design) appliques.
Having trouble positioning them correctly, here is an example, and was looking for advice on what I could use that I could position them, then maybe pass an iron over without relifting them..... I saw some stuff on Ebay MistyFuse that you can use, but not sure how you attach it or not sure. For now I use starch to stiffen the appliques and use repositional glue, but it ends up wearing off, often before I get it just right. I probably should post this somewhere else......

If your peices are washable I would use Elmers Washable School glue. It is really just a very strong starch and when ironed makes things stay put very well. Cheap too. Do some experimenting with it.

I need, for it to NOT stick while positioning it.... I have used glue sticks too, but I need to be able to position them exactly then maybe iron to stick without moving them. If its the glue I am thinking, it would stick when I set it down. Thanks for the reply though. IS there a better section to post my problem?

Can you use an iron on Heat and Bond type thing? You iron it on to what you want to applique, peel off the backing and place it on the background piece. I does not stick until it is ironed. You can move it around all day until you get it right. Once you iron it, it stays very well.

All that being said, keep in mind I know nothing about working with leather.

I wondered about that, I saw some it was fusible webbing but was not sure how it could be put on and not stick to both sides at once, it must be the paper back then that stops it from sticking on both sides.... I will have to try that

Any fabric can be fused to a fusible so that you can position it before ironing. You use a teflon-like pressing sheet to do this. These are sold specifically for applique, although some people have said that the teflon oven liners work just too. The applique pressing sheets are translucent.

Anyway, here is the method. You place the fabric wrong side up on your ironing board, place the fusible on top (sans paper on either side), place the pressing sheet on top of that, then iron. The fabric now has fusible on its wrong side. You cut out your applique shape, position it as desired on the background, then iron to complete the fusing of the applique piece to the background.

Hope I am explaining this so it is understandable. The fusible will fuse to fabric, but not to the teflon-like applique pressing sheet. You just peel the now-fusible-fabric off the pressing sheet. The applique is not permanently fused to the background until you iron it again onto the background fabric.

Most fusibles will make your applique fairly stiff. Misty Fuse is supposed to be the best one to use in terms of keeping the drape of the fabric.

You machine embroider the edges of your applique, right? If so, I would try Misty Fuse first because it will not change the applque fabric significantly.

Steam-a-Seam is a fusible that you can use without the applique pressing sheet. This is one that you leave the paper on one side when fusing the other to the fabric. When you remove the paper, the fused fabric is like a post-it note allowing you to re-position as desired until you are ready to permanently fuse into place with an iron. However, even the Lite Steam-a-Seam will stiffen the applique somewhat -- perhaps more than you like.

Note: Fusible interfacings are different from the fusibles I am talking about. Fusible interfacings have adhesive on only one side. Fusibles such as Misty Fuse, Steam-a-Seam, Heat n Bond, etc. have adhesives on both sides.

Thanks for the info, I will be machine straight stitching the leather appliques to the fabric, and if they are stiffer, that is good, makes them easier to keep in the shape I want, so they dont flop all over. I just have to experiment on how well the leather would hold up to ironing. I use some metallic leathers, that have kinda like a tinny type of bonded surface, so have to see if that would melt. I just basically need to have it positioned and hold in place, if the fusible stiffens them til I bond it, all the better, as they will not flop as much when I am positioning them.

Another question for all you knowledgeable people. When I position the appliques, I start on one side, lay down the appliques and decide where I want them,then I need to mirror image them and put them on the other side the same, any idea on how to position them the same on the other side? Maybe make a template??? I kinda freelance and dont often use the same pattern very often......

Hello I also new, but I teach quilting. Misty Fuse is good to use. It is lite to feel and will stay, just follow their directions.

Hello I also new, but I teach quilting. Misty Fuse is good to use. It is lite to feel and will stay, just follow their directions. :-P

I think the fusibles will work on leather as long as the leather can take the heat required. Since the stiffening isn't such a problem for you, I think Steam-a-Seam is your best bet. Easy to use, and the directions are on the package. Steam-a-Seam is sold in JoAnn Fabrics; not sure where else.

I think the fusibles will work on leather as long as the leather can take the heat.

I would test as I initially described -- leather on the ironing board wrong side up, then fusible, then applique sheet. That way only the wrong side of the applique leather will get the intense heat.

Since the stiffening isn't such a problem for you, I think Steam-a-Seam is your best bet. Easy to use, and the directions are on the package. Steam-a-Seam is sold in JoAnn Fabrics; not sure where else.

For symmetry, try getting some of the clear vinyl from Walmart's fabric section. It is on a rack that holds rolls of vinyl and vinyl tablecloth material and costs maybe $3-4 a yard. I haven't done this myself, so I'm hoping I'm remembering the details correctly. Cut a piece of vinyl and use a Sharpie permanent marker to trace your symmetrical pattern on it. Place this vinyl pattern on top of your background and secure the tops together (with leather, maybe using the clamp-like paper clips?). Flip the vinyl up, position your applique on the background, and check placement by flipping the vinyl back down. You can keep adjusting the applique underneath the vinyl until it is accurately placed.

I think there is a big question at this point of whether the leather can allow enough heat through for the fusible to activate. You would be pressing from the top, so the applique leather would need to be able to take the heat.

Instead of using a fusible, at this point I am thinking you may be better off with Unique Stitch. This is a permanent glue for fabrics that may also work on leather. Once you have your applique in poistion, you could lift up a piece at a time to dab a spot of this glue on. The glue stays repositionable for about 30 minutes, so as long as you place dots of glue in the middle of the applique, you will be able to fine-tune the positioning for awhile. Once the positioning is perfect, you would need to place something heavy on the whole thing and let it sit for 24 hours to become permanent.

Unique Stitch comes in a tube and is a little messy to use, so I recommend being very methodical in your approach. It remains water-soluble for 30 minutes so you have that much time to clean up a mistake. JoAnn Fabrics carries it. Sharon Schamber uses it for her fabric applique.

So you are fusing leather to fabric?

I meant to compliment you on the jacket photo; the jacket is fabulous!

[img]http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/s...um/welcome.gif[/img]

Have you thought of using basting spray? It is not permanent, so you can pick up and move the pieces until they are all where you want them to be. It just makes the pieces tacky and it washes out in the laundry.

Hi and welcome from Oklahoma.