Previously, I posted about making basic shapes. Today, I want to talk about making letters! Fabric letters can be a great addition to stitched projects like pillows, quilts, bags, etc. There are many machines that can do most of the work, but I will demonstrate how to make fabric letters by hand using HeatnBond Lite Iron-on Adhesive.
First, you’ll need a letter template to trace. I usually just create my own in a word document. (The sample below uses a “Gungsuh” font at 88 pt.)
First, trace the reverse image of each letter onto the paper-side of the HeatnBond.
Next loosely cut out each word and iron it to the back of your fabric using a medium heat setting with no steam.
Carefully cut out each letter.
What about the enclosed spaces?
Enclosed areas can be impossible to remove with scissors, which is why I use an exacto knife. Just make sure to cut on a surface that won’t be damaged. (I usually lay down a manila folder and it seems to hold up just fine.) Be careful!
The result is clean and crisp-looking letters that everyone will think are cut by machine!
To add the letters to your project, simply remove the paper, position the letters in place, and iron over the letters to permanently fuse them to the project! For projects that will be washed, I like to stitch over the letters to ensure that they stay in place.
