No Sew Methods: Stitch Witchery vs. Fabric Glue | OFS Maker's Mill (2024)

FAQs

What are the best no-sew methods? ›

There are two great ways to attach fabric without sewing: fabric glue or a fusible bonding tape like Dritz Stitch Witchery. If you have a sewing machine, sewing is often still the fastest and most reliable method for many projects, but fabric glue or Stitch Witchery are great alternatives.

One of the strongest no-sew adhesives for clothing is fabric glue. Brands like Aleene's Fabric Fusion or E6000 abri-FFuse are popular. These adhesives are designed to bond fabric without sewing, providing a durable and flexible hold.

The bonding tape is a strip of adhesive that melts when ironed to adhere fabric together, creating a permanent bond. Stitch Witchery comes in various widths from 1/4″ to 2″ and several weights from ultra light weight to super weight.

That being said, fabric glue is not always going to be as strong or as durable as something that is actually stitched and sewn. It is also not well suited for something that may be ironed later. This is because the heat from the iron can undo the effects of the glue and affect how it bonds.

A backstitch is one of the strongest hand sewing stitches. The backstitch gets its name because the needle goes into the fabric behind the previous stitch. On the contrary, with a running stitch, the needle simply passes through the fabric an even distance in front of the previous stitch.

Backstitch. If I had to pick just one stitch to show everyone, it would be backstitch. This is probably the most useful and strongest hand stitch I know. It's perfect for repairs, since it's easy to match the look of machine stitching.

Tape is Ideal as a Temporary Solution

Glue, on the other hand, is permanent and once applied, can't be removed at will.

Best Permanent—Beacon Fabri-Tac Permanent Adhesive

This powerful fabric glue is machine washable and among the permanent glues is one of the strongest.

To remove Stitch Witchery from fabric, place a piece of scrap fabric on the unwanted residue, and then apply a hot iron on the scrap fabric for 10 seconds. Then, quickly pull the scrap away. Repeat this process as many times as necessary to remove the Stitch Witchery from the fabric.

Is Heat and Bond the same as Stitch Witchery? ›

Fusible Web: Adhesive on both sides, this type of interfacing is used mostly for appliqué. It is also known as Stitch-Witchery or Heat 'n Bond.

There are several brands of adhesives one can use, but the two most widely available brands are Weldwood Contact Cement and Barge Leather Cement. If you use these adhesives properly on your fabric projects, you will get a permanent bond.

Fabric glue (also called fabric adhesive) is a glue that, depending on the formula, permanently or temporarily adheres fabric to other fabrics. It can also be used to fasten trims, beads, lace and other embellishments to fabrics. It's a super fast way to add accents and pieces without having to sew.

Flexibility. Flexible fabric glues do not stiffen after they are applied to fabric. This is a great quality for projects that users will be wearing because the more flexible they are, the more comfortable the garments will be. When a fabric glue isn't flexible, it will dry hard and rigid and feel scratchy to wear.

— The “pinning method” where you simply fold up the pants or skirt and very carefully place pins along the folded material to create a hem.