Regardless of whether you are new to sewing or have been doing it for a while, you are bound to come across several questions. It could be you asking the question or others. One such question that I have encountered multiple times involves sewing and fabric glue, like is fabric glue as good as sewing? Having used sewing glue in my over a decade in the sewing industry, I have the right answer for you.
Fabric glue is not as good as sewing, especially if you are looking at long-term performance. This product is mainly for temporary roles or if looking to add some embellishments. It is also great for kids’ projects.
As much as fabric glue is reliable, you cannot use it to make garments like tops and shirts, which are supposed to last. Even so, you can still use glue in bag making, shoes, and even jewelry. Fabric glue also works in areas where you cannot sew for instant thick materials like leather.
Can You Sew through Fabric Glue?
You can sew over fabric glue though you need to allow the fabric glue to dry properly before you can sew over it. However, I prefer to pin the fabric and sew through it instead, when that is possible.
Reasons You Might Need to Sew Over Fabric Glue
If you have used fabric glues for binding fabric, you know that different fabrics work perfectly with various glues. In case you didn’t know, you should and must not use random glues on your fabric until you are sure of their compatibility. With the right type of glue for your fabric, you will get the best binding possible.
So, what leads to you needing to sew over a fabric glue? If you are looking to make the binding of the thick fiber fabrics stronger, you will need to use glue. Leather is a perfect example; the glue will help you secure the layers before stitching them together.
As much as I said initially that I prefer pinning instead of glue, you will realize that pins work only for lighter fabrics.
Heavy or thick fabrics like leather call for fabric glue before you do the subsequent stitching work.
Items You Cannot Sew.
Fabric glue is the first choice for items or materials that are not easy to sew or temporary ones. Among the everyday things include headbands, scarves, and even the making of pillows.
Additionally, you can use permanent fabric glue for patches, repair materials, sticking zippers, trims, and hemming work. Here are the instances where you don’t necessarily need to sew:
- Decorations
Most decoration works are best if glue was used, fabric woven wire baskets, Christmas tree skirts, and burlap table runners; for example, they are decorations and do not require washing which makes gluing perfect for their creation.
If you are using other fabrics that will demand constant washing and are susceptible to wear and tear, then you must consider sewing them in place of using fabric glue.
- Embellishments
Embellishments add much-needed glitter to fabrics; if you would like to add some gemstones or sequins to a garment, you should consider using fabric glue other than using a sewing machine to sew over them.
Note: Usually, the fabric glue works best when you use them in small amounts on clothes, especially when used with appliques.
- Projects With Kids
Sewing machines and the entire sewing procedures are too complex for kids to master, which is why it is best that when working on projects with kids, you should use fabric glue. With the fabric glue, you can teach kids of virtually any age group as it only involves applying the glue and sticking work.
When used in large amounts, Glues might not necessarily get you the cleanest project as you would have imagined, but still, they dry clear, which is a plus for creating memories for kids in their learning process. Above all, it is pretty fun to work with glue on kids’ projects.
- Emergency Projects and Repairs
Sometimes, you wish to have a project done as soon as possible; it could be fast repairs on garments such as ripped leather or skirt hem.
Such as situation calls for the use of a spray fabric glue that lasts a few hours yet offers a temporary solution to your problem before considering sewing the whole thing later.
Washing is usually the best way to remove the glue repairs because water and soap reduce the adhesion between the two surfaces.
- Unusual Projects or Fewer Materials
It is not always the case that you are working with the fabric to use fabric glue. There are less common materials such as plastics and vinyl. As much as you can use a sewing machine to sew through the items mentioned, it will require that you acquire the suitable machines that can perform such a demanding task.
Additionally, you must get the right thread that can sew through plastic and vinyl and this can be pretty much demanding. So what’s the way out?
There’s only one easy way out to help you solve such a case; you can use fabric glue instead of sewing, saving you the struggle to stitch through the thick and hard materials. These materials are thick such that they may dull or even break your sewing needles which might prove to be expensive in the long run.
Will Fabric Glue Hold Up in Wash?
Most fabric glues are strong enough to stand washing. However, the wash should be over a short duration. So, I advise that you avoid using fabric glue on fabrics that you’d want to use over an extended period with the intention that it remains in great shape.
When you wash such fabric, the glue will start to weaken up, so you must be extra careful when and where to use fabric glue.
Another instance is the use of hot glue; if you happen to use it on washable clothes, though not the best option for clothes that will need washing later, you must not wash them with hot water.
The hot water can quickly melt the glue, locking it inside the fibers to release more heat in the process.
What Kind of Glue Do You Use for Upholstery?
It is okay if you want to make some repairs to your furniture with the help of glue. However, you must ensure that you have the suitable glue for such a project. There are fabric glues that work specifically with fabric, and usually, they are stronger than the school glues.
There are fabric glues that are washable and do not melt upholstery fabric, unlike hot glue. So, pick the suitable glue for your upholstery work. Here are some of the glues you can use for your respective upholstery projects.
- Spray Adhesive
If you are looking to holp up large pieces of fabric in place to reupholster a piece of furniture, then spray adhesives are the best option. I advise that you use spray adhesive whenever you are applying batting to the back of a couch.
Spray adhesive is available in different strengths, so you should get yours depending on your need. Some are specific to some upholstery uses.
- Hot Glue
There are types of hot glue that come in handy when using upholstery fabric. So what is my advice to those looking to buy hot glue sticks? I’d tell you to go for the highest quality hot glue available, and usually, they are the most expensive in the market.
Hot glue is a handy option when you are placing piping on the edges of your furniture. The hot glue helps with the piping holding in place until you can secure it permanently with the staples.
- Foam Adhesive
When reupholstering a piece of fabric, it is always likely that the foam in the cushions requires replacing. So as you wrap the quilt batting around the foam, you must use specialized glue to stick to the foam.
Most of the other types of spray adhesive do not hold batting to foam. Therefore, I encourage you to use the proper foam adhesive to keep quilt batting from slipping between the foam and the cushion covered upholstered.
- Fabric Glue
If you are only making minor repairs on your upholstery, then fabric glue would work well. This glue type does wonder when it comes to sealing seams that are coming apart. Also, they are great at reattaching fabric to the underside of the furniture. It would be best if you went for an extra-strength fabric glue for the repairing of upholstery.
How to Clean Glue Off of Upholstery
There are a lot of projects around homes that call for the use of different types of glue. Water-based glues are the best, primarily if you work with paper or do crafts with the kids.
As for intense projects, you will need to use more powerful glues, like Superglue. Let’s say you want to glue a broken hand of a ceramic cup; you will need stronger glue. If you have used glues, you realize that they are slippery to the extent that they may drop into your upholstery. If that happens, you are left with no option but to remove the glue. So, how do you go about removing cleaning the glue off your furniture?
Steps to Remove Water Based Glue
You can use water and detergent to remove glue from the surface of your upholstery. Here are the steps to help you achieve that:
- Step One
With a hard object, a flat spatula preferred, scrape the glue off of the surface of your upholstery.
- Step Two
Put together two cups of water with a tablespoon of detergent in a can and mix the two until suds appear.
- Step Three
Soak a cloth in a mixture of water and detergent. Sponge the glue again and again until it moves from the upholstery to your piece of cloth. Continue the process to different areas until the glue moves to the cloth as in the first case.
- Step Four
Dip a new piece of clothing into the cold water and use it to rinse clean the solution from your furniture.
Steps to Remove Strong Glue
Removing a strong glue is not as straight as in the case of water-based glue. Here, the use of chemicals is involved. Here are the steps:
- Step One
It would help if you started by scraping off any strong glue present on the surface of your upholstery.
- Step Two
Put acetone into a syringe or an eyedropper and carefully add one to two drops to the spots with glue on your upholstery.
- Step Three
Sponge the acetone using a clean cloth immediately you drop it on with the syringe or an eyedropper.
- Step Four
Put some dry cleaning solvent on a new piece of cloth, and use it to blot the affected surface repeatedly. This repeated action will help remove the strong glue.
- Step Five
Fill your syringe or the eyedropper with hydrogen peroxide if the glue fails to come off. Add a few drops of this compound to the affected area. Then, blot the area using a dry cloth; it will remove the glue and soak up extra liquid from the surface.
Conclusion
We have seen that fabric glue is reliable for making repairs on different fabrics or for kids’ projects. These glues are easy to use and offer you reliability, albeit short term. If you use them on projects that do not call for constant washing, they can last a little longer. So,
Is Fabric Glue As Good As Sewing?
Fabric glues offer a short-term solution to sewing and cannot be as good as sewing, especially materials or fabric that you will use, wash, and use again.
As I wind up this post, I hope you found it helpful, especially if you were looking for information around sewing and the use of fabric glue. If you have a question or a suggestion that you would love to put across, kindly let me know through the comment section below.
