2 ways to make fabric waterproof with Odif OdiCoat

Yesterday on QUILTsocial I showed you how to use fabric and webbing to make a beautiful and strong customized purse strap. Today I’ll use Odif OdiCoat Gel Coating – 250ml to make the strap and the fabric for my crossbody bag waterproof.

First, I must press my fabrics and remove all the creases. BEST PRESS Starch Alternative – 499mL (16.9 oz.) – Scent Free, BEST PRESS Spray and Misting Bottle – 295mL (10 fl. oz.) – Empty and my Oliso Pro TG1600 Pro Plus Smart Iron make quick work of that little job!

Cut out fabric pieces from the bag

I’ve followed the Ellipse Bag pattern by Brenda Miller of Among Brenda’s Quilts and Bags to cut out all the fabric pieces of my tote bag. I’ve laid a plastic sheet over my cutting table and now I’ll lay out all the pieces of fabric on the outside of the tote bag. These are the fabrics that I want to be waterproofed with the Odif OdiCoat Gel Coating – 250ml.

Apply OdiCoat

Now I’ll apply the OdiCoat following the manufacturer’s instructions:

• Wash your fabric before treating it with Odif OdiCoat.
• Work on a nonstick surface (i.e. silicone craft sheet).
• Spread a thin layer of OdiCoat with the OdiCoat card or a flat brush.
• Allow to dry for 20 minutes and iron on satin setting, without steam, protecting with baking paper.
• Depending on the desired effect, apply a 2nd and then a 3rd coat.
• After each application, allow it to dry for 20 minutes, and dry iron on a satin setting, protected with parchment paper.
• The OdiCoat is completely dry after 24 hours.

Here’s a video of me applying the Odif OdiCoat Gel Coating – 250ml.

As I mentioned in the video, you can use Odif OdiCoat in two ways. You can apply it to fabric before you sew or you can apply it to finished projects after they are made. Either way after:

• 1 coat, the fabric is protected, and water repellent. Area of coverage: 32 sq. ft (3 m²)
• 2 coats, the fabric is coated, with a coated canvas look.Coverable surface area: 21 sq. ft. (2 m²)
• 3 coats, the fabric is waterproofed, with a waxed canvas look. Coverable surface area: 19 sq. ft. (1.8 m²)

After treating all of my fabrics twice. My jar of Odif OdiCoat Gel Coating – 250ml was still more than half full.

Cure by ironing

To cure the OdiCoat coating on the fabric, I’ll iron each piece without steam in between two pieces of parchment paper or two pressing sheets like the UNIQUE QUILTING Double Sided Applique Pressing Sheet – Brown – 46 x 46cm (18″ x 18″). This will protect the ironing board and the iron while making the fabric waterproof and washable.

Now I’ll carry on with following the pattern for the cross-body bag. I’ll use some SEW EASY Freezer Paper for Quilting and Applique – 12.1m x 38.1cm (13.2yd x 15) to trace the templates for the outside of the bag.

Freezer paper is great for templates because you can iron it to your fabric making it so much easier to cut (no pinning and it doesn’t slip around) and it peels off and leaves no residue. These OLFA SCS-1 – 5″ Stainless Steel Serrated Edge Scissors are perfect for precision cutting. The material being cut is held in place by one blade which is slightly serrated providing maximum control.

To give the outside of the bag some form I’ll use Bosal In-R-Form Single Sided Fusible Foam Stabilizer – 45.7 x 147.3 cm (18″ x 58″). It’s single-sided fusible and laminated to a napped tricot. It’s also soft and formable, easy to stitch and needle-friendly. It comes in different sized packages and as well as the single-sided fusible, there are double-sided fusible and sew-in versions as well. The single-sided fusible works best if you are pressing from the side with your fabric rather than on the side with the foam. To protect my iron from the OdiCoat coating I’ll put the piece of Bosal In-R-Form Single Sided Fusible Foam Stabilizer on the ironing board with fusible side up, then my fabric right side up, then the pressing sheet. Then I’ll use my Oliso Pro TG1600 Pro Plus Smart Iron on the cotton setting to fuse the fabric to the foam.

Now that I’ve got the pieces of my bag cut and coated with Odif OdiCoat Gel Coating – 250ml, my freezer paper templates have been made and the Bosal In-R-Form Single Sided Fusible Foam Stabilizer – 45.7 x 147.3 cm (18″ x 58″) has been fused to the wrong sides of the outside pieces of my bag, tomorrow I’ll be able to start sewing. See you then.

This is part 2 of 5 in this series

Go back to part 1: 6 easy steps to making a strong strap with webbing for a crossbody bag

Go to part 3: 12 easy steps to sew a zippered pocket into a fabric bag