Stabilisers, Glue and all sorts of STUFF!

I just opened a couple of drawers in my sewing room, and they are stuffed full of 'stuff''! It's stuff I have bought, or been given by generous and well meaning friends and it all LOOKS the same - like paper or vilene or plastic, but all white and generally fibrous. So what is it all and what does it do? 

Well it seems to fall into four categories: 

• Things you use to strengthen or support fabric

This includes vilene in various thicknesses, which stays in place in the finished article, and can be a real boost for applique shapes, especially if you don't want to quilt over them, as they will be quite stiff. Stitch and Tear is a more paper-like product that also supports fabric, but is removed after sewing, leaving fabric unadulterated.

Also in this category is freezer paper. Ideal for a range of jobs, but my main use is as a template, to cut out shapes that can't be done easily with a rotary cutter, especially for art quilt projects. As well as conventional freezer paper I have some 'Heat Seal Paper' This works just the same as freezer paper in the sense that it has a heat activated glue on one side allowing you to iron it on to fabric temporarily, and peel it off when you have finished, but it is very much thinner, so you can trace designs onto it and also sew through it. I have used it to print quick piecing templates on for sewing and cutting basic patchwork pieces:     Click HERE to see how I did this 

• Things that dissolve, or 'disappear' 

I love using dissolvables - whether it's a thread that washes away so I don't have to unpick it, or as a stabiliser, or for transferring a pattern - so I'm going to do the next blog all about that.

• Things that you apply to the fabric surface to make it look good

This is a heap of stuff like angelina, or embossing metallics etc - mostly given to me but not really my style. There's also some tyvek envelopes I've squirrelled away but never used.....

• Things that stick to other things

This is mostly transfer adhesives - bondaweb and heat'n'bond for example, and also steam-a-seam, misty fuse and meltable thread. They are all heat activated glues but each one has different characteristics.

Alongside all this are various things that protect my iron and ironing board when I'm working - such as teflon sheets and silicon kitchen paper.

The trouble is lots of the things look the same....how do I distinguish between dissolvable paper and steam a seam? Ok, testing with water now.....