Mod Podge for applique... lots of bad fumes?
 

I bought the book by Lara Bucella "Crafted Applique" because I was very interested in trying her mod podge applique technique.

I followed her instructions to the letter and applied the Mod Podge (the one labelled for fabric) all over the back of an unwashed FQ and it dried beautifully. However, when I went to iron it down, it released some horrible white smoke and fumes that made my eyes, nose and mouth burn. I immediately stopped, but became very dizzy and lightheaded for a while afterwards. Has anyone else had this experience?

My thoughts are that I should have prewashed the FQ, although the book states that it's not necessary. Maybe the FQ (which came from Connecting Threads) had a chemical that reacted badly with the mod podge... who knows.

Anyway, I am not knocking the method at all... the book is fantastic and the concept seems great, but I just don't know what happened. Any other thoughts?

When I wanted to buy Mod Podge at the hardware store I was told they don't carry it
anymore as everybody just use Elmer's School Glue. So that's what I got.
I use a lot of Elmer's for basting my quilts and use the iron and no toxic fumes.
Maybe you could try that instead...dilute it with water if needed.
It could also be the fabric. They put all kinds of chemicals in them.
Might be a good idea to pre-wash your fabric.

I googled Mod Podge and it is made by plaid Paints. I really think I saw it at Joanns recently but I bet Michael's or Hobby Lobby might be other good places to find it too.

Here is the MSDS for Mod Podge.

MSDS, for those who don't know, stands for Material Safety Data Sheet, and is a document that contains information about chemical substances; i.e. possible toxicity, how to handle it, first aid, etc.

Nutshell: Mod Podge is made from "residual vinyl acetate" and the vapors can cause respiratory irritation. First aid for the symptoms is to get fresh air. If symptoms don't subside, seek medical attention.

There are several different Mod Podge products. I'm wondering if somehow you used something other than what the author used. I'd email and ask what her experience was like.

If you decide to have a go at it again, please take it all outside. I wouldn't want you to get sick.

How hot was your iron? I have not seen the book, but from what I have seen online you are supposed to use medium heat, a dry iron, and a layer of parchment paper between your iron and the surface. When I looked at Mod Podge ingredients online, varnish was a component. I don't think I would want to iron varnish!

Edit: I would definitely email the author of the book about this problem to see if she is using a different product than you used.

Oh my, what happened to your iron? Hope this has not damaged your iron?

I think of Mod Podge as a kind of varnish, and I have never ironed varnish. Doesn't surprise me that there could be an odor associated with it if it is ironed.

The directions on the Mod Podge for fabric say that the item is machine washable in cold water, gentle cycle after 72 hours. No mention of being machine dryable or if it is safe to iron. I think it may be best to contact Plaid for more information. https://www.plaidonline.com/contact-plaid.aspx