I’m calling this a SECRET because I see and hear every day that there are people out there, embroidery people nonetheless, who don’t know about this product.
It’s called HEAT N’ BOND LITE!! Add it to your get-it list!! It will change the way you do applique and rock your world! It will IMPROVE your applique and make all the difference in a good looking shirt, and maybe a so-so looking shirt. (I’m not an employee of Therm-O-Web nor do they pay me to promote this product. I get nothing from this product but great looking appliques!)
Did I mention I love this product? That’s why I have a drawer full of it friends (see below)! I buy mine at Joann (without an ‘s’). When they have SEWING NOTIONS at 50% off, I go in and stock up. I also get 50% off coupons all the time in the mail and on my phone (Iphone App is available) so I always take advantage and stock up! You can also buy it at some Walmart stores (although I have never seen any in ours), and by the yard at Hancock Fabrics. They may sell it off the bolt at Joann but I’ve honestly never asked or looked for it. I’ve also talked to Steve at www.Sewingmachine.com about this product and I used it when I did my little class there in October. They will hopefully be selling it soon. Anyway….
It comes in this package and is simply a roll ~ one side is paper and one side is shiny and a little textured.
Make sure you get LITE and not ULTRAHOLD. I’ve been using HNBL for a long long long time and it has never gummed up my needle.
First… you’ve sewn your marking stitch for the applique you are working on. Mine is the zig zag tiara. HNBL works especially well with zig zag designs because without it, your fabric will most likely fray.
I cut my piece of fabric large enough to cover the design.
I iron my piece of fabric. Notice my iron is on about medium heat.
I cut my piece of HNBL so that it’s about the same size as my fabric. As you can see mine hangs over a bit which is why my ironing board looks the way it does. Notice the HNBL is paper side up.
Iron the HNBL light with the shiny side down. Again, you are ironing on the paper side.
Peel the paper away, and your fabric will now have the HNBL on it. Throw the paper away! It now appears shiny and is like a coating on the fabric which the camera didn’t quite capture.
I lay the fabric shiny side down on the marking stitch and now you’re ready for the tackdown stitch. (I do not use any type of spray adhesive to stick the fabric to the shirt at this point. Some people do but I do not.)
Now it’s time to trim around the tackdown stitch. You might be able to see in this picture that the fabric underside is shiny. That’s the HNBL. It also helps in this trimming process ~ there aren’t any loose threads, as the HNBL is like a coating on your fabric. (Notice my Gingher 4″ curved embroidery scissors – love them!)
The applique is ready for the final stitch, and in this case it’s zig zag! As you can see the cut is very clean!
Here is the applique after the zz stitch. You might notice the fabric is a little bubbled up. I’m not done yet…
Again, the applique is finished, but now it’s time to FUSE the applique.
Iron over the applique. I keep my iron on medium heat. I iron over the applique and also let it sit on it for a second or two. If the applique fabric doesn’t seem like it’s fusing (still bubbly), I spray it with the iron water and then iron over it again. The applique fabric will “harden” a tad and you will be able to tell that the fabric is “set”.
You might see a difference here ~ the applique is FLAT. The fabric is fused to the garment.
Lastly, I finish the back side of my applique with Comfort Cover, aka Floriani Dreamweave (there are a variety of different brands of this product, including Sulky).
Here is your finished product!
Does your applique look like this??
I recommend this product all the time to people and no, I am not getting paid to do so! I have found it works great so I recommend it whenever possible! If you’re appliques are bubbly, you need this! If your appliques sometimes come loose after washing, you need this! EVERYONE NEEDS THIS!! Get some if you don’t have some and see how much better your appliques turn out!
Thanks Rosemary, This is the tutorial I've needed all this time. It helped me in every way possible. I'll never be without it now!!!
Rosemary – I run a small embroidery business on the side and have loved reading your blog and all the good tips. I will be getting heat and bond ASAP!
I used the 50% off coupon for the 75 yard boxed roll a few months ago!!! I cut a strip of HNBL and put it on all my fabrics prior to using-I do it in larger sections, because it is easier for me (i.e. I HNBL an eighth of a yard at a time). Love using HNBL and, like you, have never had a gummy needle.
I'm definitely going to try this today! What stabilizers do you use?
Getting Heat and Bond today!!! I wondered why it did that.
I love your blog and appreciate all of the tips you share. Just wanted to say that I tried HNBL and the Gingher 4" curved scissors per your recommendation awhile back and both have improved my applique experience. Just wanted to say thanks!
Love the new blog & I absolutely LOVE Heat'N'Bond Lite. I use my own variation of these steps. Once I cut out around the design I use a small travel iron that will fit into my 5×7 hoop to fuse the fabric to the shirt before the final stitching. I use the tiny craft iron in my 4×4 hoop. I do this so I don't have to iron over the final design which results in flattening the satin stitch look.
Melisssa, I do the same as you. I like to fuse my fabric before the final stitch. I just purchase a mini craft iron today, actually, so I no longer have to struggle with fitting my full size iron into my 5×7 hoop. I love HNBL. I recommend it to people, as well.
Just discovered your new blog. I love it. I’ve bought many(MANY) designs from your store. Thansk for this tip. As you said most in the embroidery world don’t know about this stuff. I’ve used it before but never with my embroidery. Thanks a bunch!!!!!!
Ahhhh….you just made my day:) I love your designs!! Your blog looks *A*M*A*Z*I*N*G* Thanks so much for all the tips:)
Hey Rosemary! Could you do a post on needle selection?! I get so confused about that but definitely notice that it makes a difference. Thanks!!!
I always use Schmetz Embroidery Needles – 75/11.
Rosemary, thank you so much for your wonderful tips and information on your blog. I am an Applique Cafe customer and have subscribed to your blog from the minute I discovered it. I have learned so much. I started doing embroidery about a year ago, and run my own business from home, http://www.facebook.com/WatermelonBellies (I also make children’s clothing). When I first bought my machine (Janome 9500) , I took a 6 hr class on stabilizers, hooping, needle & thread selection, etc. They never taught about HNBL, either. After having the “so-so” looking appliques, I started experimenting with many different “fusings” (if that’s what you call them) and discovered HNBL. I love it and use it all the time. I do what Jessica does, though, and actually do the fusing part before the final stitch.
I just purchased a Brother PR600 and will have it in about a month. I can’t wait. I hear a lot about Fast Frames too. I read your post on that. I am a hooper as well, so really debating on whether I need them or not. Some people I talk to use them for everything. Hmmm…. I guess we’ll see. Thanks again for a wonderful and very informative blog.
Hi Rosemary, I’m spending my daughter’s naptime today reading through all your blog posts. Great information! Cannot thank you enough. Wondering if you have an answer that I’ve googled several times and never found. Have you seen the patches that people are selling on etsy? How are they making those? Are they just doing applique onto the HNBL? I cannot figure it out! Sometimes there are things I want to applique, but they aren’t hoopable (like areas of a backpack. Thanks for your help!
I honestly have no idea? I would assume HNBL is involved as well as some kind of tearaway stabilizer that you would do the actual applique on. I honestly don’t know though!
I am attempting to change the way that I do my appliques as well-moving more towards an iron on, because then I don’t have to be on the hunt for each customer’s shirt brand preferences. I’m going to experiment after the holiday season (which I’m crazy busy for right now), and if I find anything useful out, I’ll try to post it.
rosemary, i’ve NEVER heard of this before. I can see how it would be very helpful for larger applique where the fabric has a tendency to bubble up like you said. after you wash it does it look better than it did had you not used the HNBL. I too should have stock in HNB. Although I use the heavy duty for doing the letters on my banners http://deepthoughtsbycynthia.blogspot.com/2010/08/new-banner-photos.html. I’ve used probably 100s of packages of this stuff. And I can barely stand to make these banners anymore after 4 years of it. But I will because people like ‘em like only one who doesn’t sew could love ‘em.
anyway, i’m gonna try this. i love how my appliques turn out but there is always room for improvement right? i always just starch the heck out of my applique fabric to keep it flat.
It fuses the applique fabric to the garment, so yes it does do better after laundry! Hanging to dry and ironing it would probably make it even better!
I Rosemary, I found your site and I love it. I am a stay at home Mom and just started learning embroidery a few months ago. I am learning so much from your site and buying a lot of things also. Your designs are wonderful. I craft a lot with my Cricut machine and am making vinyl t-shirts and decided it was time to learn something new so embroidery came about to me. If I read correctly you are from Alabama, and I took am from Alabama. Actually, Anniston, AL. I went to Jacksonville State University. I would love to hear exactly where you are from in Alabama.
Hi! I live in Montgomery now – have been here since 97. Went to school at Troy and am from Enterprise!
Thank you so much for sharing this secret. I’m new to machine applique embroidery. This worked perfectly. Thank you!!!
I just came across your posts and they’re amazing!!! I’m fairly new to embroidery (started last July) and I wish I would have come across your tips months ago! I have a question, do you use interfacing on your fabric for an applique? I didnt see any on the fabric you put the heat bond on. Just curious what your thoughts on it is
Thanks for your wonderful tips!
I only use the HNBL. If it’s a thin fabric that the shirt might show through on, I might use a layer of white fabric underneath.
I WAS WONDERING WHAT THE WEAVE WAS CALL. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP. DO YOU PUT A SATABILIZER ON THE BACK OF THE SHIRT WENT YOU PUT THE HEATBOND ON THE APPLIQUE.
Comfort cover is what I use! You can also get Dreamweave by Floriani.
I took your advice and started using HNBL on my appliques, however I’m now having a problem with my thread breaking. This doesn’t happen as much when going around the outside of the design with a satin stitch, but more so when tacking down the design and especially when there is more than one layer of fabric (which means more than one layer of HNBL….
Have you ever had this problem? It is VERY frustrating. I love the look of a “finished” applique with HNBL but having my thread break over and over while stitching isn’t fun.
I have personally never had that problem! Is it with all types of thread? What kind of machine?
I am wondering what makes this better then Wonder under, because it is lite and it has been amazing for me! I do over 15 appliques a day and I find the wonder under available at Walmart, or any craft or fabric store and it is cheaper then the HNBL. Please tell me what you think, I am curious to see if I am missing something? I have used both the wonder under and the HNBL and I see no difference, but I am not the most observant, hahahaha!!
I don’t know that it’s better. I just prefer it! The paper peels off easier to me. I always had trouble with the wonder under. By all means use what you like best!
I think any fusible is better than nothing!
Thank You for this tutourial. I found it to be so informative. I was told by the woman at the store where I purchased my machine not to use HBNL because it gummed up the needle. But you stated it does not, I am having trouble with my material separating behind the stitches, if you know what I mean. I can trim close but it is after the satin stitch that I have my issues. I will be trying this on my next applique for sure. I have this and use it for other things but was a bit scared to try it in my embroidery machine. I now have the confidence to do so after reading the article. Thank you so very much and I am glad someone posted this for me to read. Sincerely, Diane Fox
So I’m assuming you did the name with an embroidery machine?
Yes!
Hi Rosemary! I am having a problem with the HNBL leaving a residue on my iron. I also use this iron for everyday ironing (shirts, pants…) and once heated, the residue shows up on these items. Is there a trick to removing the gummy residue that you know of? Thanks! Laura
You can buy iron cleaner and clean it when you get ready to do regular ironing? If you are ironing on the paper side, I’m not sure why it’s getting on your iron?? Mine gets on my ironing board cover but typically doesn’t get on my iron. I’d suggest the cleaner or buying a cheap “work iron”!?
I couldn’t figure out how it is getting in my iron either! Mystery!!!
Thanks! I will go grab some iron cleaner and may just pick up a new work iron while I’m at it
I now use a piece of non fusible stabilizer to cover the applique for the first pass of ironing. Any fusible residue will stick to the non-fusible first.
i have a question…on your first step where it shows thw crown,,,is that on the actual shirt or is it just a peice of cloth? Im asking because if its the shirt i dont see how your fitting it in the hoop, its shows that its real neat and wouldnt it have to be between the front and back of the shirt? im new to embroidery and i love your site but this part threw me off. please help
Yes that is a hooped shirt. I have a 6 needle machine, so the way it hoops, the arm of the machine goes inside the neck of the shirt. The hoops for 6 needles are also a little different than single needle machines. Let me know if that doesn’t answer your question!
thanks..i have a pe770 and i cant seem to fit it..the shirt seemd so big.
any suggestions
I am custom appliqueing for my business and use wonderunder and do not have a bit of trouble w/it and i really like the product . But now i am appliqueing for another business in large quantities and they use ONLY heatbond ultra and sometimes lite and it is gumming up my needles, i was told to use a better quality needle by a sewing store which they recommened xlasse universal titanium 80/12 and it still gums up breaking the upper thread also, i have a brother SE 400 machine and a simple singer2263 and i used singer universal 80/11 needles before the titanium needles and it did this also when i would use heatbond HELP! I really want to do a great job for this new business and i am at my wits ends figuring out what to do.
COULD YOU POST A STEP BY STEP BASIC GUIDE ON HOW TO APPLIQUE? I BOUGHT AN APPLIQUE FROM YOUR WEBSITE BUT HAVE NO CLUE HOW TO DO IT! THANKS!
Did you look at the posts in Helpful Posts? I suggest starting with a simple 1 fabric design and play w/ it – once you do one it’ll make sense!
Hey just wondering what kind of machine do you have. I want to learn how to do this.
Thanks
I have a Brother PR650!
Thank you for all of the information you have provided! I just purchased a Brother PE-770, and I used you blog to make my shopping list. I am having trouble finding cute blanks. I have seen several on the Cherry Tree site that are too cute- any idea where these blanks can be purchased?
Thank you
Dana
If you look under LINKS on my blog, there is a list of blanks suppliers. Cherry Tree uses Monag a lot, and there is a new one called Blanks Boutique that sells a similar cute girl tee (all white right now).