What’s the difference between batting, stabilizers, interfacing, and fusible web?

Welcome to an exciting week in which we’ll explore the wonders of fusible webs. We can do some amazing things with these products, but confusing them with interfacings, stabilizers, and batting is easy.

Exploring the wonders of fusible webs this week!

Each of the four categories has a purpose. Within each category, you’ll find many variations, not just in size format but in the type, woven or not, weight, fiber content, and whether it contains fusible properties, to name a few.

While some products could substitute for another, one must carefully select the correct PROPERTIES you require to have it work successfully in your project. Using the incorrect product can turn a potentially beautiful handmade item into a disaster.

Before diving into what great things we can do with fusible webs, let me briefly explain the categories and their common uses.

Oh, take note that I’m using the term “fusible web,” NOT fusibles, as this can cause a lot of confusion if one is talking about fusible batting or fusible interfacing. In other blog weeks, I’ll explain the other three categories, batting, stabilizers, and interfacings, in detail.

Battings

Batting is the layer between the quilt top and back, providing warmth and body to the quilt. The fiber content can be cotton, polyester, silk, wool, bamboo, or a blend of two fiber types. It’s not thick, with a loft generally in the ⅛” to ¼” range. You may find that some battings are fusible, meaning you can use an iron (heat) to activate the adhesive, eliminating the need to baste with pins or sprays.

Batting is available on a roll, sometimes on a bolt, or in a bag. Batting in a bag will come in various sizes. Fairfield Poly-Fil, Fairfield Low-Loft, Fairfield Traditional, Fairfield Quilter’s 80/20 Quilt, Fairfield Toasty Cotton Natural, and Bosal Katahdin Batting Strip, are some of the more popular options you can explore.

You can use batting in quilts, table runners, wall hangings, placemats, garments, tote bags, and many other projects.

Stabilizers

Stabilizers are essential in machine embroidery or decorative stitches in sewing mode. The density or width of the embroidery/decorative stitches is too great to stitch only on most fabrics, even using two layers. The stabilizer will provide support for the stitches. Some stabilizers will stay in the project, while others will provide support only for the duration of the stitching. SEW EASY Freezer Paper for Quilting, UNIQUE Easy Stitch Perforated Embroidery Backing, UNIQUE Rinse Away Water Soluble, UNIQUE SEWING Tear Away Embroidery Backing, UNIQUE Trace Away Water Stabilizer Film, HEATNBOND Stitch n Sew Tear-Away Stabilizer, and, many varieties of Sulky products, are some of the more popular trusted stabilizers. By selecting each product, you’ll find information about that product. This information is a great way to learn the basics.

Here’s an example of machine embroidery on a knit sweater. This stabilizer will stay in the garment to support the embroidery stitches on the knit. Even though these embroidery stitches are not dense, the knit fabric requires the additional support of a stabilizer to maintain the integrity of the design, especially when washing the garment. After washing, this design looks as good as new.

The embroidered design on a knit

You can see the stabilizer remains to support the embroidery design.

The stabilizer remains to support the embroidery design on the knit.

This example shows a machine embroidery design using a single layer of cotton with no stabilizer. See how it bunched up? I didn’t complete the design as I knew the puckering would worsen.

An embroidery design with no stabilizer

But with a stabilizer, the cotton background remained flat.

An embroidery design with a stabilizer does not pucker.

Here’s an example of how a stabilizer can assist with decorative stitches. The left side has no stabilizer, while the right side does. You can see how the stabilizer provides support. This decorative stitch is not dense, yet it makes a difference to use a stabilizer.

One line of decorative stitches with and without stabilizer

To my knowledge, stabilizers do not come in a fusible form, but some are sticky or have a heat-activated surface, similar to freezer paper, but that’s another blog post!

The category of stabilizers is vast, with different removal (or not) methods, using multiple layers and types simultaneously, using them on the bottom and/or the top. It’s a big, complex topic requiring a comprehensive discussion to go through them all.

Interfacings

Interfacings remain in the project. They are primarily used in the garment world to provide structure to keep a garment looking neat and professional. Think collars, cuffs, front facings, or plackets to support buttons and buttonholes.

However, they also provide stability and body for bags, pouches, and other items where you want structure but don’t want the loft you get from batting.

Interfacing comes in woven and non-woven varieties and can be sew-in or have fusible properties. You’ll find black and white in some of the styles. It can come on a bolt or in packages. BOSAL In-R-Form Double-Sided Fusible Foam Stabilizer, BOSAL In-R-Form Double Sided Fusible Foam Stabilizer, BOSAL In-R-Form Double Sided Fusible Foam Stabilizer, BOSAL In-R-Form Unique Sew-In Foam Stabilizer, HeatnBond Tricot Medium Weight Fusible Interfacing,

Bosal, UNIQUE, and HeatnBond offer a variety of interfacings based on specific needs. Again, clicking on each product will provide information on how and where to use it. Be careful; some terms can be confusing.

Here’s a sample of a non-woven, fusible, black interfacing used to stabilize the front facing of a blouse. Serging the edges is a great way to finish off the edge.

The inside of a front-facing with a stabilizer

Here’s the front of the garment. The interfacing helps to keep the edge looking crisp and professional.

The outside of the front-facing

And now it’s time to discuss this week’s topic – fusible web!

Fusible web

I’m calling this category fusible web, NOT fusibles, as it’s commonly referred to. Calling it a fusible makes it very confusing as we have other fusible products (batting and interfacing) on the market. Using the correct term, “fusible web,” can help eliminate confusion and purchasing the incorrect product. So, it’s all about the fusible web for the week!

I want to clarify one other point about fusible batting and interfacing. A dry layer of heat-activated adhesive film (fusible web) has been added to one or both sides of these products, allowing you to adhere them to your project using an iron rather than rely on basting and/or sewing the batting or interfacing to secure it.

I want to highlight that fusible web is not the same as fusible batting or interfacing, and they are not interchangeable.

So what exactly is a fusible web, and where would we use it?

A fusible web is a sheet of adhesive that comes in several forms. It can appear like a fragile fibrous product. Or it can appear shiny when adhered to a paper backing. In this case, the paper is a carrier (supporter) of the adhesive sheet because it would be too fragile otherwise.

The fusible web is for bonding (adhering) two layers of material together. It does not provide support, although depending on the weight, it can change the hand (stiffness) of the finished product.

Here’s an example of the fibrous form of an adhesive sheet. These are dry strands of adhesive (glue) bonded to each other. Be warned, this is glue; touching an iron to it will create a mess on the bottom of your iron. We’ll look at this in more detail tomorrow.

A sheet of fibrous fusible web

Here are some examples of items where the fusible web was convenient and easy to use. It works with many different materials, including fabric, wood, metal, glass, trim, etc.. If you are working on materials other than fabric, check before buying to see if that product works on multiple materials.

Adhere the fusible web to the wrong side of your fabric and fussy cut images. These fussy-cut images make quick and easy Christmas tags or mini stockings.

Cotton fabric adhered to felt.

You can use the fusible web to adhere fabric to paper. Again, place the fusible web on the wrong side of the fabric and fussy-cut the images. I made bookmarks, place cards, and a gift bag. You can also use it to make cards or decorate cardboard shapes.

Cotton fabric adhered to paper.

Although I haven’t had a chance, you can also adhere fabric to wooden shapes.

Use fusible web to adhere fabric to wooden shapes.

I dressed up a picture frame using fusible web to adhere fussy-cut fabric images to the cardboard matboard.

Cotton fabric adhered to paper.

And if you want, you can adhere fabric to glass!

Cotton fabric adhered to the glass.

Storage

I can’t stress how important it is to label all your products. For the most part, I can look at any product and tell you what it is and whether it is fusible on one or both surfaces. However, if you’re new to these products, you must label everything. If your product comes in a wrapper, keep the product in the wrapper. If you buy it off a bolt at the store and get NO instruction sheet with it, then take a picture of the end of the bolt, and when you get home – LABEL IT!! Ensure the labels are such that they will not come off!!

I have discovered that many shop employees are unfamiliar with these categories and will sell the incorrect product to someone. It’s almost like buyer beware. Be sure to read the label if you are unsure of what you’re buying. Hopefully, your supply list is specific about which product you need. Try to become educated about the properties of each, and if you’re unsure that what you’re buying is the correct one, ask more questions.

Ask LOTS of questions, and you can always research online.

OK – that’s a quick overview of the difference between the four categories: batting, interfacing, stabilizers, and fusible web.

Read your packages carefully, label them always, and ask questions!  

Tomorrow, we’ll look at properties, weights, and where to use each type of fusible web to maximize the product. Oh yes – there isn’t just one type of fusible web – that would be too easy! We’ll discuss the types of fusible webs and how they will appear in tomorrow’s post.

Have a great day!

Ciao!

This is part 1 of 5 in this series

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