Appliqué, bondaweb, mistyfuse? It’s a whole new world.

What started out as a ‘quick look on the web’ has turned into a bit of a fact finding mission.

So it went something like this...

Hmm so I’d like an appliqué design on my skirt, what’s the best way of doing that..? and what’s this bondaweb stuff? I’ve never really used it as I use felt on my cushions. What exactly is it? I know it fuses fabric together, so must be some kind of glue, but what’s it made of? where is it made? when was it invented? 

And, is it environmentally friendly?

on to the internet..googled..

Tweeted..

found some information, but not all the answers.

So far (and thanks to fellow Love What You Wear –ers? Jaimie and Ginny) shall we have a ‘name’? any ideas?

Have discovered the following:

• Bondaweb is the brand name and is made by Vilene
• It is also known as Vliesofix and Wonder under
• Vilene is part of the Freudenberg group, a German, family owned business
• They are the market leaders in ‘interfacing’ for the garment industry
• They launched an Eco range in 2008. This range contains no AZO dyes, formaldehyde and APEO - and are also compostable and bio-degradable. 

So what’s an AZO dye?  what’s APEO? I know about formaldehyde. Does that mean those things are in their other products? I don’t know. I want to find out more about them - have a feeling there will be lots of 'sciencey type' words like Alkylphenol ethoxylates..that I will need translating!

So, I rang them to find out.

Spoke to a very friendly lady and asked her my questions, she said she would get back to me.  I also dropped her an email, just to make sure they had my address as my name can be a bit tricky. So will wait and see.

Then Jaimie pointed me in the direction of Mistyfuse.

Mistyfuse are an American company based in Brooklyn, New York (they are ok after Hurricane Sandy) and say that their webbing is 'environmentally friendly' – I have asked what makes it so, and am waiting to find out.

So no complete answers yet! But just wanted to share what I was looking into – and if anyone knows the answers let me know.

Then on to appliqué itself..

I learnt that there is more than one way to do it. And that there is a way of doing it without using a ‘fusing’ material – after all it was around well before bondaweb was invented! (so you might wonder why I’m bothering to find out about how that stuff is made – I’m inquisitive. I like to know!)

These techniques are traditional needle turn appliqué and reverse appliqué. And according to one of the books I have there is also Broderie perse, Hawaiian appliqué, stained glass appliqué, cut and sew and inlaid...heck – how many different ways are there of sewing one piece of fabric on to another..?

Didn't realise what I’d started!!

Have a funny feeling I’ll be dreaming in appliqué tonight...