Fabric punching question

[theladyrebecca]

I worked more on the smocking this weekend. I finished the first row across, and did a second row. It goes relatively quickly, when I actually sit down to work on it. I did the whole second row during tech rehearsal yesterday.


I also have a question, which I hope I haven't already asked previously -- Do any of you have experience punching shapes into fabric? I'm going to start working on the Little Red cape soon, and it has flower shapes punched all along the edges. I was hoping to use some sort of punch, because cutting out all those shapes would be an absolute nightmare. I've read that it helps to heavily starch the fabric before you punch it, and that you can sharpen the punches with aluminum foil. I'm using a faux suede, though, and I'm not really sure how much starch will affect that sort of fabric (or conversly, if starch will damage the faux suede).

I have to say, it makes me wish I still had access to the Scan & Cut, because I probably could have done a lot of it at my old job, if I could have figured out how to get the fabric into the machine. But that's water under the bridge, and I'm not going to spend $400 on being able to punch these shapes out!

Comments

[rum-inspector.livejournal.com]

I think it depends on how your faux suede is made, and the quality and sharpness of the punching tool...

As with real leather and quality punchers, you can make sharp and fine shapes.

Most fake leather/suede is knit based, which might fray when punched. Maybe starching helps to prevent that, and/or (i'm not sure what it's called in english, the sort of iron on paper that is used in embroidery or quilting... it's quite inexpensive, sort of paper you iron on behind the fabric, which you can just peel off after the embroidery or in this case, punching)

I think the punching tools should be the kind you need a hammer to work with, like a steel/metal shape, the sort of paper punchers are not sharp enough to work with fabrics.
I'm sorry I'm really bad at explaining and lack the english vocabulary... maybe even if you have small steel cookie cutter, if you can bend one to the shape you want(or even find suitable in a kitchen ware/cake decor supplier), place it over the fabric and sharply hit with a hammer?

[theladyrebecca.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I hadn't thought about a leather-type punch. By iron-on paper, are you talking about like an interfacing? I'll have to look into that. Since you bring up the possibility of fraying, I almost wonder if I could soak the fabric in one of those fray-check type things - that might actually stiffen it enough to punch it, too. Thanks for your advice!

[rum-inspector.livejournal.com]

i remember now, freezer paper! it's really easy to remove as it isn't meant to stick for long (like interfacing fabrics are)

Please do post about your experiments, I haven't used fray check myself since it's really expensive over here, i haven't found local equivalent, I fear it might make fabrics too rigid - though making garment that are meant to be kind of stiff like bodices that might actually be a good thing

[theladyrebecca.livejournal.com]

On a sample piece, I tried one section with "Stiffy" and one with fray check. Both stiffened nicely, though the fray check is a little more discolored. However, both of the small punches that JoAnn's sells were not hefty enough to get through the fabric, so I'm not sure what else to do, since the next nearest craft store is about 40 mins away. Maybe I'll make it up there this weekend.