How to Use the Bo-Nash Fuse It Starter Kit: Bonding Powder for Repairs, Appliqué and Hems
Some sewing jobs need a hold that pins cannot give you neatly — a small fabric repair, an appliqué shape that must stay where you placed it, or a hem you want turned up cleanly. The Bo-Nash Fuse It Starter Kit is built for those jobs. It is a bonding powder for fabric, and the kit includes 1 oz. of bonding powder, one non-stick sheet, and instructions.
What It Is and Why Quilters and Sewists Use It
Fuse It is a dry bonding powder, not a liquid glue. You apply the powder where you want the bond, then use the included non-stick sheet as you follow the kit instructions to set it. Once bonded, the join can be stitched through and will not gum up your needle — so you can fuse first for placement and still sew over the area afterwards.
The finished bond is washable and dry cleanable, so it suits projects that will be laundered and used. The product description lists four main uses: fabric repair, appliqués, quilt basting, and turning up hems — jobs where pins would shift, pucker, or get in the way.
How to Use It, Step by Step
- Prepare your pieces. Lay out the fabric, appliqué shape, hem, or repair area exactly as it should finish. Bonding rewards careful placement, so take a moment to smooth wrinkles and align edges before you apply anything.
- Apply the powder where the bond belongs. Sprinkle the bonding powder along the join — under an appliqué shape, along a turned-up hem fold, over a small repair, or between layers you want basted together. A little coverage in the right place is the goal; keep the powder on the join, not scattered across the surrounding fabric.
- Position the second layer. Set the other piece of fabric in place over the powder, checking alignment one last time before you fuse.
- Cover with the non-stick sheet. Place the included non-stick sheet over the work to protect both your fabric and your ironing surface while you set the bond.
- Fuse following the kit instructions. Work through the instructions included in the kit for setting the powder, keeping the pieces flat and undisturbed while the bond forms.
- Let it settle, then stitch if you wish. Once fused, you can leave the bond as it is or stitch through it for extra security — the powder will not gum up your needle.
Practical Tips
Start with a test on scrap fabric, especially for repairs, to see how the powder behaves on that fabric. For appliqué, fuse the shape first, then take your time with edge stitching — with the piece no longer shifting, satin and blanket stitching become calmer work. For hems, bond the fold before final pressing or topstitching so it stays even. For quilt basting, use the powder where you need layers to stay put.
Care and Storage
Finished projects can be washed and dry cleaned. Store the powder closed and dry, keep the non-stick sheet flat with the kit, and keep the instructions with it — they are the authority for your specific fabric.
Project Ideas
Reach for this kit to mend a small tear or worn spot in fabric, to hold appliqué motifs on a quilt block, wall hanging, or garment before stitching, to baste quilt layers in targeted areas, and to turn up hems on garments and home-sewing projects. It is a small 1 oz. starter size, well suited to learning the technique and to keeping on hand for the quick fixes that come up in every sewing room.
Shop the Bo-Nash Fuse It Starter Kit at Linda's Electric Quilters.
