Tips and Hints

HEAT SEALABLE FABRICS

Heat sealable fabrics give you one of the greatest degrees of waterproofness.

  The seams can be sewn with conventional sewing or by heat sealing using a household iron or both methods.  When the seams are heat sealed they will be waterproof and airtight.

METHOD 1: Using this method the seam allowance will show on the right side (outside) of your project.  Practice with scrap fabric first.  Place laminated (shiny) sides together.  Place a smooth pressing cloth or paper over the area to be seamed and the surrounding area.  Starting with the nylon setting on your iron hold the iron over the seam area for about 15 seconds then lift off, if you need more heat gradually increase it until it is sealed well.  NOTE: The iron will seal the fabric anywhere heat is applied so stay only in the seam area.  Let cool.  Try to pull the seam apart.  If you can pull any of it apart- re-seal again.

METHOD 2: Sew the seam as you would normally.  Cut a strip of heat sealable fabric the length of the seam you want to seal by 7/8” wide.  Trim the seam to 1/4” width.  Finger press the seam to one side (not open).  Place the strip over the seam, laminated sides together.  Using the pressing cloth, iron the strip in place using the same ironing technique used in Method 1.

METHOD 3: For sewn only seams, use Seam Grip seam sealer  over stitched areas that you do not heat seal or tape.