Month: April 2017

May Charity Sewalong

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Royal Flying Doctors Service

Royal-Flying-Doctor-Service.jpgThe Royal Flying Doctor Service is one of the largest and most comprehensive aeromedical organisations in the world, providing extensive primary health care and 24-hour emergency service to people over an area of 7.3 million square kilometres.

Delivered by a dedicated team of professionals, using the latest in aviation, medical and communications technology, and supported by a vast number of volunteers and supporters, the RFDS is vital for those that live, work and travel in rural and remote Australia.

This sewalong we are creating aviation themed circle quilts, square quilts, mug rugs and table runners which can be used by the Royal Flying Doctor Service for its patients or at events to be auctioned off for fundraising efforts.

SEWLONG BRIEF

  • This sewalong will run from 1st May – 31st May 2017
  • Create an aviation themed circle/square quilt, mug rug or table runner.

PROJECT IDEAS

ED-P-700x700Planes by Echidna – Free Download!

This collection consists of 10 designs suitable for 100 mm x 100 mm or larger embroidery hoop.

This project will be free to download during the month of May to collaborate with this aviation themed sewalong.

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Choosing a Commercial Heat Press

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By Erik Merkley

Why Use a Heat Press?

Whether for hobby or business use, heat presses are the perfect tool for applying flex and flock vinyl or large rhinestone designs. If you’ve struggled with a normal iron to get large vinyl designs to stick or find they peel off after several washes then you will benefit from a heat press.

There are three crucial ingredients to getting a long-lasting vinyl application:

  • Precise timing
  • Even temperature
  • High pressure

While an iron is fine for small designs, it can’t deliver the consistency of temperature over a large design for the right amount of time. Heat presses have specially designed plates which spread the heat evenly, adjustable pressure, solid silicone bases to squeeze the vinyl onto the garment, and electronic control over temperature and timing.

So can I just use an ironing press?

Heat-PressNo! Commercial heat presses are fundamentally different to domestic ironing presses. A domestic press is designed to iron and steam garments flat – hardly a task that needs high precision! There are few reasons they are unsuitable for use with vinyl:

  • Ironing presses have very uneven temperatures over their heating plate, with some areas far too hot and others too cool
  • Even a small amount of steam escaping can destroy a vinyl design
  • The soft foam on the bottom plate great for pressing pants, but it doesn’t allow the force needed to bond vinyl into fabric
  • You have no precise control over the temperature of the press or the time it is use.

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