I have heard about using freezer paper for putting pictures on fabric for quilts, but nothing about how it is done, could you tell me.

Teresa

I've never heard of using just freezer paper to transfer pictures to fabric. I have heard about ironing (shiny side down)freezer paper to muslin, cut to paper printer size (make sure there are no strings on edge)and run the muslin thru the printer. When done, remove the freezer paper off the back of the muslin (pic is printed on the muslin side). Hope this helps:0)Skeat

I've heard the same - if you try it let me know how it works I got a lot of ink and muslin and maybe that's my next project?

Sorry guys, I typed in the entire explanation, but my computer went flukey, and I am trying to get ready for our Thanksgiving Dinner (my grandson is home from Iraq) so will re-post later if no one else has answered by then.

Donna

You have to treat the 200 ct muslin with Bubble Jet Set before you print the pictures on it. You can buy that at you LQS, or online-like connecting threads.com (not affiliated). I don't use freezer paper. I stick the treated fabric to large label makers and then run it through the printer. I had trouble with the freezer paper coming undone and jamming in my printer. You can use the label maker several times-I've used one over 30 times so far.

Those label papers sound so much easier! What I do is cut the freezer paper to 8 1/2 X 11, cut the muslin/cotton to 9 X 12, iron the fabric on to the freezer paper and then trim the fabric to the 8 1/2 X 11. You have to make sure your edges are really secured and that there are no stray threads that will get hung up in your printer wheels. Then follow the directions for washing/rinsing, except I use Woolite, which, when I called the BJS manufacturer he said was okay to use.

Donna

OOP's, almost forgot... I tape the leading edge of the freezer paper so I don't get wax on the wheels!

Okay, what is a large label maker? I too have had trouble with the freezer paper holding up in the printer, but consider the trouble worth it. The printer sheets are pricey. IMO I have never done pictures, but like to design my labels on the computer and print them on muslin.

They are like regular printer labels except they are the full sheet size, at least that is what I have seen and heard discussed. They aren't really label makers so much as full sized label sheets.

Donna

Are you saying you pull off the label sheet and stick to back of pretreated muslin? Just the label? That works? OMG! You just may have saved me from using a few choice words this year. LOL Thank you.

Looks like you got your answer. I got my label makers at Office Max. They hold much better than the freezer paper, and do save the "choice" words! :wink:

LinK, could you tell me if you trim the fabric after you put it on the label or is there a trick to not having your fabric stick without wrinkling? I can just picture my fabric not quite straight or having some wrinkles in it, you know, like when you don't want your contact paper to stick before you get it in the right place. I'm old enough that I use to use a lot of contact paper.

Donna

No, I don't trim. I cut the fabric to the 8.5" x 11" and bend the fabric in half lengthwise and start laying it down. Then just smooth the fabric. It's easy to pick it up and reposition the fabric. I have strings hanging sometimes, but they've never gotten stuck in the printer. I try to cut the long ones, but leave the short ones alone. It would take days to cut all of them! :P

Thanks LinK, I may just have to try this method.

Donna

You're welcome. Hope it works good for you, too. I should have said that I cut the fabric before I treat it. I can put different size pictures on each sheet and more than one on each sheet, too. I use a "collage creator" for that.

Yes, I cut the fabric too, and then use the freezer bag method. One thing I did learn (guess how) is to NOT even roll the liquid out, just let it drip and pat tight between my hands. That BJS also keeps wrinkles in, firmly! I rolled it the first time, didn't even wring, but those wrinkles stayed in, even after ironing, grrrrh!

And could some one tell me why I didn't think ahead and plan the size of the square so i could get more than one pic/info on a sheet?

Back to cutting so I can go to the light box for more tracing, 36 left to cut and trace. Then off to the fabric cutting of the family squares. Will have to have some computer time in there to decide if the family squares will be every other one, a cluster of so many then spacing, don't know yet for sure so really should be doing that vs. this!!!!

Donna

What is the freezer bag method :?: I just pull the fabric out of the liquid, and let it drip for a while, then hang it to dry.
It took me a few quilts to think about making several pictures on 1 sheet of fabric. I wasted a lot of fabric in the beginning. I know I'm suppose to be able to put different sizes of fabric in my printer, but the method has eluded me so far. I'll figure it out someday, I hope.

Thanks everyone for all the ideas, on my printer I have a program that lets you print different size prints on a sheet of paper and it fills up the page. Since I do a lot of pictures thought it might be helpful to you to know that you should be able to do that using the program that came with your printer.
Sharon A

SOMEWHERE on the internet (I hate it when I don't mark things) there are instructions for this. What I do is cut my fabric to 9X12, several pieces, put them in a large freezer bag, pour in the BJS, squeeze out the air (very carefully now) and let set for the length of time required. When done, cut one corner of the bag at the bottom, very small, keeping it so the contents don't drip out til you are ready. Then you hold it over the BJS jar and let it run back in, again being very careful to get most of the liquid out without putting in any wrinkles (they stay). Then I let dry in my shower. While looking for these instructions I ran across a site, that of course I didn't mark, that said you shouldn't let the BJS run back into the bottle, you should use another container, wasn't told that before so have been letting it go back into the BJS bottle, didn't seem to affect it.

[b][i]Idid the freezer paper and had a real bad time with it and then a lady told me to iron it on a hard board instead of the ironing board, which has to much padding on it. this keeps the edges down good. I did a big sheet and then cut it with my rotary cutter I have 2, keep your old blades for this, and it worked great.

Could you mean that you iron your muslin to the shiny side of the freezer paper for feeding it through your printer? That is what I do. :mrgreen:

I stick my muslin to large label papers that have the sticky back. You can use the same sticky paper over at least 12 times. They go through the printer really good. I always had trouble with the freezer paper not sticking on the corners and then getting jammed in the printer. No more problem now.