I can't say that I ever would have imagined myself writing a post saying that I've given up pins in favor of glue stick. And I suppose I'm not really saying that. But there's this:
Glue stick works for English paper piecing!
A swipe of glue stick holds the paper to the fabric while you cut and baste. In fact, it feels a whole lot more secure than when I pin the template in place! And because washable glue stick isn't especially permanent (sometimes it hardly holds paper when I use it!), the paper hexagons come right out. I'm really still quite new to using a glue stick (I was introduced to this method by Haley who learned it from Diane), so I can only speak to my brief experience so far. But I like it enough to continue using it for now.
My one complaint is that the papers ended up with a glue residue when they came out, and I'm unsure how well they'll hold up to repeated use. Also, If what you're making isn't going to be washed...will you end up seeing glue on the fabric over time? I don't know, but this point, the glue seems to stay on the paper with nothing left on the fabric.
I do know that you can get glue sticks that are made specifically for this purpose. I might need to get one of those. There's still much to learn and explore about this, but can I say how much I love that a regular children's art supply can be so handy?
What a great tip! :)
ReplyDeleteI've been using glue for this purpose for a while, and I really like it, too! But you are right, the papers don't survive it as well.
ReplyDeletei use the cheapest glue sticks possible (quality cheap, which are usually money cheap too), and i'm able to reuse my paper pieces almost all the time. i haven't had any issues with glue showing, but i use a very small amount of glue to adhere the paper.
ReplyDeleteyou know what i just realized? you're the one who got me into paper piecing, when you had the meetup at graham's a few years ago! thank you, i am so in love with epp!
Very interesting! Thanks for the tips!
ReplyDeleteI use glue to do the basting. Instead of thread I glue the fabric to the paper piece and stitch away. So fast! You can use a craft (washable) glue stick or yes, there are ones made for quilters/sewing. Both sewline and Fons and Porter make them. They are skinnier, like a lip gloss, which makes using them for basting a bit easier. A little steam and it all releases when you're done.
ReplyDeleteNever tried pins but I've used the glue method but went back to needle basting. One or two paper clips are handy to hold in place the hexie paper while basting, at times I just baste without them. Now, for the upcoming Spring Stitching Club, I may want to give glue basting another chance... not sure yet.
ReplyDeleteHa ha, I've used glue for applique for ages now, but it never occurred to me to use it for English paper-piecing!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you're liking the glue method! I use just enough glue for the templates to stick, but not enough for residue to stay on the fabric. (My rule of thumb: If the glue wouldn't dry on the paper within a couple of seconds, I'm using too much.)
ReplyDeleteI've found that using a paper clip is a bit more effective for EPP than pins ... will have to investigate the glue stick method ... paper clips can slide around sometimes, a glue stick might help the paper be more secure.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you're liking the glue method! I find that I definitely get fewer re-uses from my templates this way, even when I'm careful to use very little glue. I can really only get maybe three re-uses - by that point there's too much glue residue and it pulls the fabric too hard when I peel out the template, leaving some stretching and puckering behind.
ReplyDelete...But I've never had any issues with washing. I just look for washable glue sticks.
Hmmmm, I'd be worrying about the residue myself. Buy might give it a try.
ReplyDeleteI tried it, but my needle kept getting gummy. I didn't like the feeling, and that my needle kept getting sticky. Any suggestions? And I used the cheapest temp glue I could find.
ReplyDeleteHmm...your needle shouldn't be hitting any glue. I just out a small amount of glue in the center of the hexagon, with nothing near the edges. Maybe that would help?
DeleteI started paper piecing based on Haley's tutorial and I LOVE using glue. I prep a huge stack of hexagons and I can bring them along with me and I don't have to worry about stabbing myself with all those pins!
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