I used to be able to buy a lightweight, iron-on, 100% white cotton fabric by the metre. Now all I can find are expensive iron-on patches of various sizes in heavy fabrics like denim etc. Does anyone know where I can find the iron-on fabric for sale by the metre?

arthurdent - 2020-05-08 09:38:00

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datoofairy - 2020-05-08 09:53:00

datoofairy wrote:

Do you mean iron-on interfacing? Spotlight and Lincraft (and I'm sure other sewing supply stores) sell it by the metre, in various weights. I guess the heavier weight could be considered iron-on fabric, and is like cotton.
Not that I'd recommend buying online from Spotlight, their postage is a very expensive.

If it's cotton fabric then, yes, that's what I want. But 'like cotton' sounds as if it's a synthetic fabric like polyester. Maybe you are referring to what used to be called 'Vilene'? My understanding of 'interfacing' is that it's a synthetic sort of fabric but I could be wrong about that. The fabric that I'm looking for is like a lightweight poplin and 100% cotton.

Edited by arthurdent at 10:19 am, Fri 8 May

arthurdent - 2020-05-08 10:10:00

I never heard of it apart from interfacing? So what you are wanting is a cotton fabric with an adhesive backing ? May I ask what you use it for?

glasshalfull - 2020-05-08 10:30:00

How about making your own if you are using it to patch by using something like steam a seam there are other brand whose names currently allude me. Can buy it by the metre at Spotlight and quilting shops.

mica3 - 2020-05-08 10:42:00

glasshalfull wrote:

I never heard of it apart from interfacing? So what you are wanting is a cotton fabric with an adhesive backing ? May I ask what you use it for?

I first bought it, from a fabric shop in Glenfield, about 35 years ago. I was a beekeeper and had been given a number of heavy cotton bee-suits that had many holes in them due to car-battery acid being sprayed on them by accident. Since I couldn't afford new beesuits and these ones were cotton which I preferred to polyester, I covered the back of the damaged areas with the iron-on fabric and then used the zigzag on my trusty Elna to go around the damaged areas on the front side of the suit. I was still using those suits 30 years later! I now want to to repair some work clothes and other things that are too good to throw away and not available now anyway -well, not in cotton which is what I prefer to polyester.

arthurdent - 2020-05-08 10:51:00

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datoofairy - 2020-05-08 10:54:00

mica3 wrote:

How about making your own if you are using it to patch by using something like steam a seam there are other brand whose names currently allude me. Can buy it by the metre at Spotlight and quilting shops.

Well, that method means that the fabric patches are only attached where the seam tape is placed and there will be large areas where the patch is not attached to the fabric. I'm assumng that 'steam a seam' is a tape?

arthurdent - 2020-05-08 10:54:00

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datoofairy - 2020-05-08 10:55:00

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datoofairy - 2020-05-08 10:58:00

datoofairy wrote:

I dont think I've ever seen iron-on, 100% cotton. Surely the steam and heat you need to bond it would cause 100%cotton to shrink?
You could use Vliesofix to bond any fabric. Its expensive at Spotlight, much cheaper to buy online. I am actually waiting for a delivery of Vliesofix that I bought off eBay. The seller I buy it from sells it in 1m widths, as many metres as you like. My latest order was 2m x 1m costing me a total of $10.87 including postage. This is who I buy from. And when I look down the page, it says it is cotton (Baumwolle is cotton). I have my doubts is 100% cotton but from memory it is very cotton-like. I dont have any left to check.
https://tinyurl.com/ycstgayw

The iron-on cotton fabric didn't need steam -just a dry medium heat. Then you did the zigzag stitching to keep the patch permanently in place. But I never experienced that the iron-on fabric ever detached from the fabric even after multiple washings.
Thanks for the info about 'Vliesofix' -it sounds to be just what I want and I will check it out on eBay. Can you give me the name of the seller, datoofairy?

arthurdent - 2020-05-08 10:59:00

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datoofairy - 2020-05-08 11:02:00

datoofairy wrote:

Vliesofix would be fine for making patches like this. You just iron one side onto your patch fabric, peel off the paper backing and then iron the patch over the hole. You can then sew around the patch for extra adhesion if you want to.

Oh, that's a bit different from the fabric I used where the iron-on fabric was actually the patch fabric and that way there was minimal added thickness but plenty of strength.

arthurdent - 2020-05-08 12:16:00

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datoofairy - 2020-05-08 12:35:00

I still have some I brought many years ago,
No idea where I brought it from now, but it is great to iron inside where clothes wearing thin, like your favourite jeans, inside legs at top, before the holes appear by the seams where the ridges rub, oops better go and head inside time for update & our lovely Ashley Lol !, although work room getting sun now starting to warm up out here.

flossy63 - 2020-05-08 12:56:00

flossy63 wrote:

I still have some I brought many years ago,
No idea where I brought it from now, but it is great to iron inside where clothes wearing thin, like your favourite jeans, inside legs at top, before the holes appear by the seams where the ridges rub, oops better go and head inside time for update & our lovely Ashley Lol !, although work room getting sun now starting to warm up out here.

Yes -that's the one, flossy!

arthurdent - 2020-05-08 13:41:00

arthurdent wrote:

Yes -that's the one, flossy!

I use to do a lot of sewing etc, used it on blouses for the inter facing, girls dresses etc, before my addiction/hobby of what I sell on Trade Me, It's taken over what was my sewing room, 2nd TV room, Lego/ play room for nieces & nephew & sleep out for my Nephew,
I was their 2nd mother, had them every 2nd weekend, still got baby stuff in my cupboards, portacot stored,
One day I will be back sewing, Got a cupboard full of Fabrics, mainly kids stuff, my nieces & nephews were spoilt for new clothes, Use to make a lot of baby & kids clothes & sell before days of Internet & Trade Me,
So mainly selling my trade me goods now not buying, well trying not too Lol !, got far too much, I want my sewing room back,
want to also get back to knitting etc too,

flossy63 - 2020-05-08 22:08:00

arthurdent wrote:

Well, that method means that the fabric patches are only attached where the seam tape is placed and there will be large areas where the patch is not attached to the fabric. I'm assumng that 'steam a seam' is a tape?

sorry about that, mica3 -I've just bought some steamaseam and it is a fabric. I thought it was a hemming tape. But it looks promising and I'll try it out quite soon.

arthurdent - 2021-02-13 19:58:00

I remember the cotton iron on stuff, the iron on bits were dots rather than all over like the vilene. Haven't seen any in a while

voyager4 - 2021-02-18 14:41:00

I think you might be looking for 'Solidot' - a cotton fabric with little adhesive dots on the back - iron on. Not sure if it around anymore but used it a lot in the 80's and 90's. Was available in fabric stores by the metre and in habby stores in packs of about 1 mt.

knitpurl1 - 2021-03-01 12:33:00