Why a Strip Changes Everything
Some projects do not need a wide bolt of fleece — they need a long, narrow piece of it, cut evenly and ready to go. That is the idea behind Pellon® 987F Fusible Fleece in the 2.5" x 50 yards Jelly Roll Strip Package. It takes a familiar one-sided fusible fleece and delivers it as pre-cut strips, so you can skip the measuring and rotary cutting and go straight to fusing. If you work in strips — building up coiled, wrapped, or strip-constructed projects layer by layer — having 50 yards of consistent 2.5-inch width on hand is a genuine time saver.
What Is Fusible Fleece?
987F is a 100% polyester fleece with adhesive on one side. Unlike a plain sew-in fleece, which has to be pinned, basted, or quilted in place to stay put, a fusible fleece bonds to your fabric with the heat of an iron. Pellon describes it as adding a layer of softness, body, and stability — three things that are related but not identical. Softness is the cushioned feel under your hand. Body is the way a finished piece holds a gentle shape instead of collapsing. Stability is the support that helps fabric behave while you sew it.
Because the fleece is polyester and completely sewing machine safe, you can fuse it first and then stitch through it with confidence — topstitching, quilting lines, and construction seams all pass through the bonded layers as one unit.
What Is It Best For?
Pellon positions 987F for home decorating, craft, and apparel sewing, and the strip format leans naturally toward craft and home projects built from narrow pieces. Think of any project where a soft, padded strip is the building block: strip-wrapped and coiled projects, padded handles and straps, narrow borders and trims that need a little loft, and small sewn goods where a wide bolt would mean wasteful cutting. In apparel, short lengths of strip can add soft structure to a narrow area without committing a large piece of fleece.
The fleece can also be fused to cardboard or wood, not just fabric, which opens it up for padded craft bases, covered boxes, and other mixed-media home projects where a soft layer needs to stay exactly where you put it.
How to Fuse It
Work on a firm, heat-safe pressing surface. Place the fleece with the fusible side against the wrong side of your fabric strip — the adhesive side is the one that will bond, so check orientation before the iron comes down. Press with a hot iron, holding it in place on each section rather than sliding it, and work along the length of the strip until the whole piece is bonded. Let the fused strip cool flat before you handle, coil, or sew it; a bond that has set is far more reliable than one tested while still warm.
That fusing step is the whole appeal: no pinning, no basting, and no separate sewing pass just to attach the fleece. The layers go into your project already united, which keeps edges aligned and prevents the shifting and bubbling that loose fleece can cause mid-seam.
Tips for a Better Finish
- Test first: Fuse a short offcut to a scrap of your project fabric and check the bond and the hand of the combined layers before committing a long strip.
- Press, do not iron: Lifting and setting the iron down section by section gives the adhesive even heat and pressure; sliding can nudge a narrow strip out of alignment.
- Mind the width: The 2.5-inch cut is the point of this package — if your project needs wide, unbroken fleece coverage, a bolt format of 987F will serve you better than joining strips.
- Keep strips tidy: With 50 yards in the package, re-roll or coil the remaining strips for storage so they stay smooth and crease-free for the next project.
Care and Handling
Finished projects should be cared for according to the fabrics you have fused the fleece to. Because the fleece is 100% polyester and machine safe during construction, it tolerates normal sewing handling well — cutting, pressing, stitching, and turning — without needing special treatment of its own. Store unused strips flat or rolled, away from prolonged heat, so the fusible surface stays ready to bond cleanly when you reach for it next.
For strip-based sewing, preparation is usually the slowest part. A pre-cut fusible fleece removes both the cutting and the basting from that equation, leaving you with the part that is actually fun: making the project.
Shop the Pellon® 987F Fusible Fleece 2.5" x 50 yds Jelly Roll Strip Package. Color: White. at Linda's Electric Quilters.
