Soft & Stable - 36" X 58" From ByAnnie

ByAnnie's Soft And Stable Is A New Product Which Annie Developed To Use In Place Of Batting Or Other Stabilizers In Purses, Bags, Totes And More. Why use ByAnnie's Soft and Stable?

• Great lasting body and stability

• Lightweight
• Maintains shape
• Gives a professional finish to your project

• Easy to sew

• Fabric can be quilted to ByAnnie's Soft and Stable or just sewn around the edges of the pieces no need to quilt every 2 to 4" as with batting

• Soft and comfortable

• Washer and dryer safe

Product specs: Piece measures 36" x 58" x .175" thick 100% polyester foam White polyester fabric on both sides of white foam   Notes from Annie: I am often complimented on the professional appearance of my bags and purses.  Though I'd love to say that they look good because I'm such an excellent seamstress, I really can't take all the credit.  Using the proper tools and supplies makes all the difference between a project that looks store-bought and professional versus one that looks homemade. ByAnnie's Soft and Stable is by far the most important element used in any of my purses, bags, or other projects.  Using ByAnnie's Soft and Stable in place of batting or other fusible interfacings gives my project a firm foundation.  The bag isn't slouchy or wrinkly.  Yet, because ByAnnie's Soft and Stable is so lightweight, the purse (when it's empty anyway!) weighs hardly anything. I love using ByAnnie's Soft and Stable in handles, too that soft, cushiony feeling is so nice for shoulder straps or handles. The other advantage to using ByAnnie's Soft and Stable is that I do not have to quilt the fabric to the batting/foundation unless I want to.  I often choose to quilt the fabric to add a decorative element to the finished piece, but it is not an absolute necessity.

For instance, when I designed the Serenity Shoulder Bag , I wanted all of the focus to be on the texturized flap.  Had I used batting in the bag, I'd have had to quilt the fabric in the body of the bag.  Not only would those quilting lines detract from the finished appearance of the bag, but the bag would be slouchy when put together. With ByAnnie's Soft and Stable, I am able to attach the fabric pieces used for the body of the bag to the ByAnnie's Soft and Stable by sewing just around the edges.  No quilting lines!  When I'm done, my bag stands up beautifully, supporting that gorgeous textured flap.

That extra support is especially nice when you are using wooden fashion handles, such as I used on the On the Town handbag .  Even though I've attached some relatively heavy handles, the bag holds it shape and stands up beautifully. If I do choose to quilt the fabric to ByAnnie's Soft and Stable, that's easy, too.  I just layer the lining fabric (face down), the ByAnnie's Soft and Stable, and the main fabric (face up).  Pin the layers and you're ready to stitch.  The slight texture of the fabric finish on the Soft and Stable slightly grabs the fabric pieces, so there is little shifting of layers as you sew. Sometimes, I skip the fabric layer on the bottom and just sew the main fabric to the ByAnnie's Soft and Stable.  Again, because ByAnnie's Soft and Stable has fabric on BOTH sides, I don't have to worry about the foam catching on my feed dogs.  Everything moves easily through the machine.

In addition to using ByAnnie's Soft and Stable, there are several tools that make all the difference in making a professional-looking project easily: I wouldn't be without my trusty stiletto or wooden pressing tool when it comes to making any kind of purse, bag, garment, home dec project, or quilt.  Anytime I am attaching a binding, I depend on my stiletto to hold things in place.  The pressing tool will press seams quicker than running to the ironing board and its point turns out corners perfectly every time. Many of my patterns require you to draw lines on the project pieces to aid in aligning handles, borders, pockets, and so forth.  I love using the Clover Chaco Liner Pen Style chalk markers for marking these lines.  They are quick and easy to use and, best of all, they are very temporary.  Usually all I need to remove the line is the air created by the movement of the needle in and out of the fabric as I sew.  The line is so easy to see, but it disappears as I sew! How easy is that? I hope that you'll give ByAnnie's Soft and Stable a try in your next bag or purse, too.