I use these directions when I am printing onto silk that will be mounted for notecards. Because my results thus far have been so successful - the stabilizer stayed put even after washing - I will try this method on larger works that will be heavily quilted and decoratively stitched. The adhesive will not gum up the needle.
The discovery is a product made by Floriani called Perfect Stick. I like the fact that it comes on rolls of various widths and can be cut to size. Another similar product by Floriani is called Template Tearaway but is only available in 8 1/2 x 11 sheet form.
I am very grateful to RNK Distributing who provided samples of Perfect Stick stabilizer. This product can be purchased at many quilt shops that sell machine embroidery supplies.
Steps – briefly noted
1. Pre-wash silk with mild shampoo (Neutragena or baby shampoo)
2. Air dry
3. Soak in Bubble Jet-Set per manufacturers directions.. Lay silk flat onto a towel, smoothing out wrinkles.
4. Air dry until almost dry. Go to an ironing surface. Hold one end of the silk and glide a medium dry iron over the silk away from where you are holding it. This creates a slight tension and the silk irons beautifully flat. Do not press down on the iron as the edges will leave creases.
5. Flatten the Perfect Stick by rolling it over a cylindrical object in the opposite direction it was originally rolled.
6. Make a carrier for the printer. Cut a piece of Perfect Stick to size, pull off the backing and attach the sticky side to silk.. This forms the carrier. It is still a little floppy at this point. So, I save the backing, that I pulled off the Perfect Stick. I then place a piece of double-sided tape on the non-shiny side of the backing and attach it at the top edge on the back side of the carrier. This gives the right amount of stiffness to the carrier for my printer. Trim to size
7. Load silk with carrier attached into printer one sheet at a time. I use the special media feed because I have more flexibility in the sizes I can send through the printer.
8. Print. Let air-dry for a day. This allows the inks to set.
9. Rinse in lukewarm water with a little mild shampoo (Neutragena) and then rinse again with cold water. The directions on the Bubble Jet set bottle tell you to do this - you can also use the manufacturer's own rinse agent.
10. Place the item flat on a towel to dry. A little texture will remain. For notecards, I sometimes skip the washing step.
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