Standard Mat, Low Tack Mat, or Mid Tack Mat??? Fusibles and the Brother ScanNCut

Remember the collage trees I have made in the past? Like this one, named "Branching Out"? I really think my new Brother ScanNCut machine would be great for cutting the bark pieces I use to collage the trunk and branches.

The fern project I made a few weeks ago went smoothly because I used the old Steam a Seam Lite fusible web (the one with only one backing paper). It had just the right stickiness (not that much) for the Standard Mat. This fusible was discontinued, so I've been experimenting with Steam a Seam Lite 2 (two backing papers). It turns out that this fusible is far too sticky to use with the Standard Cutting mat. It actually left a layer of fusible web across the entire mat that I had to scrub really hard to get off. 

It then occurred to me that cutting with the Low Tack Mat (instead of the Standard Mat) might be a good idea. I was right, that worked just fine. I repeated the experiment today, and yes I have concluded with certainty that the Low Tack Mat is the one to use with Steam a Seam Lite 2 fusible web. You can see here how well it cut.

One thing I have finally learned is to run a test cut before committing to cutting an entire sheet of shapes. That way if you get the settings wrong, or you choose a mat with more or less tack than you need, you will only gum up or slice through part of your mat. So today I drew only one piece of bark and scanned it in.

I still have a fair bit of Pellon Lite EZ Steam from two years ago when Steam a Seam products were unavailable. The Pellon product is way too sticky for the Standard mat too, and it did not work very well with the Low Tack mat either. So I have concluded I will not be using the rest of this fusible web as I do not like it for this, or any other purpose..

I also noticed when cutting bark that some of my shapes weren't fully cut out, or had wiggly edges. That would be because in my original drawing that I scanned (below), I did not close in all my shapes with my marker, and some areas almost had a double line where two lines met. I redid my drawing today and re-scanned it.

I also tried a few other fusibles today. Because it doesn't have that sticky re-positionable adhesive like Steam a Seam products, Wonder Under works well with the Standard Mat.

I cut a beautiful sheet of bark using Wonder Under fused fabric and the Standard Mat.

Here are the pieces after I pulled them off the mat and laid them on the release paper for storage.

I also tested TransWeb with the Standard Mat. It did not seem to stick to the mat enough, so you can see that the pieces were lifting off the mat while they were being cut, and this did not result in a clean cut. I won't be using this fusible with the ScanNCut either.

I gave another try at cutting bark with the Low Tack Mat and Steam a Seam Lite 2. It worked beautifully, and for this I am thankful, as it is my fusible of choice. I need the pressure-sensitive, re-positionable adhesive for the works I make that are comprised of a lot of little shapes. The design sticks together while you are building it. The ScanNCut can cut these shapes faster than I can. You will notice that I made sure to create a variety of sizes and shapes because I want this to look natural.

Despite a good cut, you will need to keep your mat clean. There will always be little bits of fabric and sometimes a smidgen of fusible, left behind. I read on-line about using baby wipes to clean the mat. I tried them, and they do work well. 

I opted for the unscented ones because I just don't want a lot of perfume circulating in the air in my small studio.

I am now through a lot of the experimentation with fusibles and mats, and am ready to tackle another project and confident the Brother ScanNCut can handle my preferred fusible, Steam a Seam Lite 2. Oh, and by the way, there is also a "Mid Tack Mat". I haven't needed that one yet.

Quilts = Art = Quilts 2015

I am pleased to share that this year I had a quilt accepted to the Quilts=Art=Quilts show at the Schweinfurth Art Center in Auburn, New York. The opening reception took place this past Friday, October 30. Yes, "Encore" is back from its travels in Europe, and will be hanging at this show until January 3, 2016.

More information about the show is available here. There is a video of the show at this link.

My teaching schedule is slowing down at this time of year, so I am going to have some time in the studio. So far this past week I've gone through a lot of images and pulled a lot of fabrics for possible use. It has been so long since I've made new work that I'm feeling rather paralyzed. Yes, I have lots of ideas, but all of them either feel overwhelming or too similar to what I've done before. Hopefully I will get warmed up soon :-) On the other hand, taking a rest isn't such a bad idea, is it?

On Saturday I'll be teaching a workshop for the Upper Canada Quilt Guild, who meet in Prescott, Ontario. Then stay tuned for new work over the next few weeks.

Surviving the Steam a Seam Crisis

My apologies! The text size on my last post was way too small! Here is a revision with larger text.

As many of you know, Steam a Seam fusible web products have not been produced for at least the last 6 months. The paper manufacturer that provided the parchment release paper shut down. The same paper was not available elsewhere, so they were forced to find an alternative. A new Steam a Seam product was released in summer 2013, but there were problems with the new backing paper. The company has announced that it is seeking an alternative and will not release the product again until they are sure the problem is resolved.  You can read updates on the situation at this site: http://warmcompany.com/sas-update.html

I am confident that Steam a Seam products will be back on the market once the problems are solved. The product is an excellent one and the company (The Warm Company) that produces them are not a one-trick pony. They make several products, including Warm and Natural batting.

I have used nothing but Steam a Seam Lite for more than a decade. Lately I've been thrust into chaos trying to teach classes without Steam a Seam products. Over the Easter Weekend I made my SAQA donation quilt using Pellon Lite EZ Steam II instead. I thought I was going to write this blog post with a new found respect for this alternate product, that is until I made the quilt samples for my Northcott fabric line last night. I was enamoured over the Pellon Lite EZ Steam II recently because I built my entire SAQA donation while away from home and not near an iron.  Here is the big difference between Steam a Seam products and Pellon Lite EZ Steam II: NEVER TAKE AN IRON TO YOUR PELLON LITE EZ STEAM II UNTIL YOUR DESIGN IS BUILT. It is so tacky that everything adheres without ironing, and in fact, if you iron on the wrong paper side (matte parchment like side) you will never get the paper off! Tutorial below on how to use it.

Over the years I have been asked many times why my raw-edge applique does not fray. My response has been two-fold:  a) I use a high thread count cotton in my hand-dyes that is similar to the cotton used in commercial batiks, and b) the fusible holds it together. Then last night I tried to make my sample using my Northcott fabrics and I have now discovered what people are talking about. Pellon Lite EZ Steam II is just way too tacky and sticky to work well with commercial fabrics. It actually contributes to fraying. Here is a photo of what happened when I pulled the backing paper off the very sticky fused fabric using Pellon Lite EZ Steam II on such a delicate part of my quilt!

Well no worries, because I still had a bolt of Steam a Seam Lite in my closet from way back when.  Not even enough to supply a class, but enough to supply me for quite some time. That is how I solved the problem. PLEASE NOTE:  I AM USING STEAM A SEAM LITE (THE LIGHT VERSION OF THE STEAM A SEAM PRODUCT THAT ONLY HAS ONE BACKING PAPER). I believe the Steam a Seam 2 products, with the two backing papers, might contribute to fraying as well because of the extreme tackiness. The piece starts to fray as you are pulling the backing paper off. The more tackiness, the more pull on your fabric. Please scroll down below the photos in this blog post to read about the different types of Steam a Seam. There are four, and a lot of confusion out there about them. I have included the information I have been giving students in my classes to explain why these fusibles with pressure-sensitive, re-positionable adhesive are so helpful to building a design with many little parts.  BUT, they may be too much for designs built with commercial fabrics and delicate designs, unless like me, you use the ones with less tackiness (Steam a Seam Lite in my case). In my last blog post I shared photos of the two quilt samples I made last night using Steam a Seam Lite. That worked better because it is far less tacky, but always tacky enough for my needs.

When I use Steam a Seam Lite, I trace my reversed design to the paper side of the fusible web, cut it out roughly, iron to the back of my fabric, then cut out on the line. There is not much stress on the fabric when I pull the backing paper away because the Lite version is not as sticky as the two-sided version.

Here is a tutorial on how to use Pellon Lite EZ Steam II.

The product comes with a paper on each side of the fusible web. One paper is a heavy, waxy, freezer-type paper. The other side has a light, matte, parchment-like paper.

Trace your reversed design to the matte paper side.

Roughly cut out the design and pull off the heavy shiny paper side.

Finger press the fusible to the back side of your fabric. The matte parchment like paper will remain facing you. Never iron on this parchment-like paper. You will never get it off!

Cut our your shape on the line.

Here is the shape cut out. 

Remove the parchment paper and place your sticky backed shape on your quilt top. Watch out, it will be really sticky! You can build your design with no ironing. Once you are happy with the design press to make it permanent.

That fusible (Pellon Lite EZ Steam II) works great on tough, high-thread count cottons and large pieces, but I strongly suggest you find some Steam a Seam Lite for delicate pieces like this:

In fact, if you can, maybe choose a fusible without tackiness for delicate things like this, until Steam a Seam Lite is back on the market. A product like Shades Soft Fuse or Wonder Under Lite.  I want you to be successful with your fusing, so that is why I put this blog post together.

Now here is the information from the hand-out I give to student regarding Fusibles with Pressure-Sensitive, Repositionable Adhesives.

FUSIBLE WEB PRODUCTS

With Pressure Sensitive, Re-positionable Adhesive

What is so special about Steam a Seam fusible web?  It has a re-positionable, pressure-sensitive adhesive that enables your design to stay together while you build it. Each piece is still re-positionable until such time as you make it permanent by fusing it with an iron.

Steam a Seam products have not been produced for at least the last 6 months. The paper manufacturer that provided the parchment release paper shut down. The same paper was not available elsewhere, so they were forced to find an alternative. A new Steam a Seam product was released in summer 2013, but there were problems with the new backing paper. The company has announced that it is seeking an alternative and will not release the product again until they are sure the problem is resolved.  You can read updates on the situation at this site: http://warmcompany.com/sas-update.html

STEAM A SEAM PRODUCTS

There are four types of Steam a Seam fusible web:

Steam a Seam:  regular weight fusible with one backing paper (not as sticky as Steam a Seam 2, but still has some pressure-sensitive adhesive)

Steam a Seam 2: regular weight fusible with two backing papers (sticky on both sides of the fusible web)

Lite Steam a Seam: light weight fusible with one backing paper (not as sticky as Lite Steam a Seam 2, but still has some pressure-sensitive adhesive). This is the one I prefer. I don’t need two backing papers, and this one is sticky enough for my needs.

Lite Steam a Seam 2: light weight fusible with two backing papers (sticky on both sides of the fusible web)

All of the above come in 12”, 18” and 24” widths. Remember to store your Steam a Seam in an air-tight container.  When it is exposed to air for a long time the backing paper comes away and makes the fusible harder to work with.

ALTERNATIVE CHOICE: PELLON EZ STEAM:

In the mean time, the only fusible I am aware of, that also has a repositionable, pressure-sensitive adhesive is made by Pellon. Do I like it as well as Steam a Seam? No, but right now it is the best alternative. EZ Steam only comes in 12” width, and there is no one-sided version of light EZ Steam.

Pellon EZ Steam: Regular weight fusible, one backing paper

Pellon EZ Steam 2: Regular weight fusible, two backing papers (sticky on both sides of web)

Pellon Lite EZ Steam 2: Light weight fusible with two backing papers (sticky on both sides of web)

This product was designed so you would never need to iron it until you press your final design in place. It is so tacky that it adheres to the back of your fabric just by finger pressing. Note that it comes with two backing papers: one is heavy and shiny, much like freezer paper; the other is light and matte, much like parchment paper. You will need to trace your design to the matte (parchment paper side). Cut your design out roughly, leaving a bit around the traced line. Remove the heavy, shiny paper, and position your design to the back of your fabric, press with your fingers, and pull off the parchment paper. Never press the parchment paper and fusible to your fabric because it is almost impossible to remove! Now you can place your design in the appropriate place on your background fabric. It will stay in place until you are finished, but can be re-positioned at any time up until you finalize things with an iron. 

EQ7 Meets EQ52 and Other News

Wow, it is a steep learning curve becoming a Northcott Fabric Designer! Two posts ago I told you about my attempts at dyeing a second set of fabrics identical to the ones I shipped to Northcott for scanning/photographing so I would have fabric to work with when creating something from this line. Little did I know that the quilts designed to promote lines of fabric are designed virtually with photos of the fabric, and not with real fabric. The production schedule is just so tight that there is no time to deal with real fabric. The patterns that goes on the promotional cards that are shown to the fabric shops, must have a picture of the pattern on them, and those promotional cards are printed before the fabric is even produced. This is where EQ7 gets to meet EQ52. Yes, I am going to have to learn to use Electric Quilt 7. Do you think the fact that the initials "EQ" for Electric Quilt are the same as my initials means we will be a match made in heaven? I sure hope so. I can't wait until the line is finalized and I can share it here. It won't be long now.

In the mean time, I've been clearing out "stuff", in preparation for my husband's retirement on December 13, and in preparation for the many bolts of fabric that will arrive here when my line is produced. I think I have mentioned here before that our house is small. I haven't gotten to cleaning up my web code yet. I'm hoping to have an improved website up soon, but I'm a few weeks behind on that.

I've also created another 12" x 24" piece for the European exhibition on Nature. Here it is below. I am not completely happy with this one, but I am going to wait until more of the panels are made before I decide whether to change it or make something new.

I'm moving on to the third panel (third in order of making, and not in order of hanging). It will be inspired by a photo I took of hostas about to blossom.

I've pulled out my palette below. Today I did some experiments using hand-dyed purple organza to add the bits of purple over the unfurling blossom. I think it looks better than using the purple cotton because the organza is a bit transparent and you can see just a bit of the green showing through.  I also have a piece of fabric (lower left below) that is an interesting mix of green and purple that I might resort to. Still deciding which green to use. I think it will be the spring green at left and top.

I am starting to become a bit panicked about the lack of Steam a Seam Lite available on the market. As you may have heard, there was a problem at the factory that produces the backing paper. After a couple of months the company re-issued Steam a Seam products, but there were problems with the new backing paper. They are trying to resolve the problem and will not re-issue Steam a Seam until the problem is solved. I couldn't believe my good luck when a very helpful person at NJefferson in Vancouver found one last bolt of Steam a Seam Lite in their warehouse. I can limp on for a while longer. I'm concerned for classes I have coming up in the new year, and this is not enough Steam a Seam for three classes! 

I might have to resort to using Pellon Lite EZ-Steam II. It will definitely be fine for my Collage Tree class, but a challenge for my In Full Bloom class. On the other hand, those who have never used Steam a Seam might not feel the challenge ... perhaps I am just set in my way of working. Given that Pellon's EZ Steam is the only other fusible on the market that has the repositionable, pressure-sensitive adhesive, I think this is the next best choice. Building a tree or flower requires a lot of little pieces, and the design clings together so much better with these fusibles than with all others.

Keeping my fingers crossed that there is Steam a Seam by the time I teach my first hosta class in March. However, I think all the back orders will not be filled by them. I think I'll need to make the EZ Steam work.