I LOVE using fusible thread!  And you know I love to share my creative sewing passion, so here are 8 things I sewed with fusible thread!  It makes basting a breeze!  Particularly on soft fluid knits.  The fusible part helps to stabilize the edge.

Use Fusible Thread in your Sewing Machine.

Wind a bobbin with it for your sewing machine.  I had to bypass the “tensioner” on my sewing machine which has a “drop-in” bobbin case.  I selected a straight stitch and:

1. 1. With the right side of your fabric facing up, regular sewing thread in the needle, and a stitch length of 5mm, baste around the edge of a curved (or straight) hem.  Mark the hem depth on the wrong side.  Trim off the fusible thread ends.  Use your iron to baste up a perfect curved (or straight) hem. Cover-stitch, twin-needle or use a hem-stitch on your sewing machine to complete your hem.
   2. Having trouble turning in the edges of a patch pocket in a knit fabric without wobbles?  With the right side of your fabric facing up, regular sewing thread in the needle, and a stitch length of 5mm, baste around the outside of the pocket. Trim off the fusible thread ends, press the edges of the pocket to the wrong side.  Now you can sew it on with no wobbles.
      
   3. Basting a zipper in place is another use for fusible thread.  I often use wash-away basting tape, but fusible thread is another easy option.  Start by basting the seam closed and press it open.  Flip one seam allowance over so the side that will be against the zipper is facing down.  Use a 5 mm stitch length and again the fusible thread in the bobbin to sew a line of stitching on the seam allowance.  Repeat for the other seam allowance.  Trim the fusible thread ends off.  Use your iron the fuse the zipper in place.  Now it’s easy to top-stitch the zipper from the right side.
   4. Use it to baste your quilt binding in place, especially if you’re like me and fold it to the front to machine stitch it.  I sew it to the backside of the quilt the normal way, beginning by leaving a binding tail for joining later, mitering the corners, joining the binding with a mitered seam and then sewing that last area in place.  Press the binding away from the quilt if you like.  Now with the fusible thread in the bobbin and a 5 mm stitch length, sew just beside the original line of sewing, on the seam allowance side.  When you get to a corner, sew as far as you can, then lift your presser foot and move the quilt to start just beyond your folded miter.  Trim the fusible thread ends.  At the ironing board with the right side of the quilt facing up, fold the binding in place and fuse down with your iron.  Fold your mitered corners just as you always do and fuse them down.  Now you can top-stitch the folded edge of the binding in place without stabbing yourself on pins.
      

       

   5. Use it to make crisp folded pleats by sewing right on the fold line with the fusible thread in the bobbin and perfectly matching thread in the needle.  I used a stitch length of 2.5 mm.  Fold with wrong sides together exactly on the sewing line and fuse with your iron.  

 Use Fusible Thread in your Serger (it’s the BEST)

I use it in my lower looper when using a 3 or 4-thread overlock, and in the chain looper for chain-stitch uses.  Fusible thread is thicker than regular thread so reducing the tension is important.  I also lengthened the stitch and then tested it on a scrap.  I LOVE my serger!

1. Use a 3 or 4-thread overlock, and fusible thread in the lower looper.  With the wrong side against the feed teeth, serge around the bottom of your garment.  If your hem is a curved hem, tighten up your differential feed at the curves to make easing in the fullness a breeze.  Mark your hem depth on the wrong side, trim off the fusible thread ends and baste the hem up with your iron.  A perfectly basted up hem, no pins, no tape, just pure simplicity.  Use a cover-stitch, twin needle or a hem stitch on your sewing machine to complete the hem.
2. Make a perfect patch pocket of a knit fabric and fuse it into place.  After fusing a strip of knit interfacing to the wrong side of the pocket top, serge the top edge with the good side facing up. Fold the pocket top to the right side at the marks and serge all the way around the outer edge, with the right side facing up.  (I used a dab of glue-stick to hold the folded over top in place.) If it’s a curved pocket, increase the differential feed as you serge the curve.  Be sure to set it back to normal on the straight edges.  If it’s a straight pocket, use your “corner turning skills” to navigate the corners. Turn the top of the pocket to right side out, poking out the corners at the top.   Press JUST the pocket top down and top-stitch it.  Because it’s fused, you CAN top-stitch it from the right side with confidence.  Fold the remaining pocket edges in and press.  Your pocket is now ready to pin into place, and because the edges are fused and stable, it will be easy to sew on.(I shared some of this in a recent post.)
   

   

   
3. Using the fusible thread in the chain looper of my serger is even better than using it in the bobbin of my sewing machine.   The tension was easily adjusted and the stitch is secure, so not a basting stitch but a construction stitch.  Attaching quilt binding using this method meant that it was only one pass of stitching, then fuse the folded edge in place before top-stitching. (or hand-stitching)

Have you used fusible thread?  In your sewing machine?  In your serger?  In other ways than I did? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear from you.