ByAnnie's Soft and Stable® is a new product 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 18" 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. 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.
