Pellon Flex-Foam: Sew-In vs. 1-Sided Fusible


Since I posted a review of foam stabilizers available for sewing projects, Pellon has released two more types of its popular Flex-Foam product.

Moore Approved Pellon Flex Foam Comparison Sew In 1 One Sided Fusible review graphicsIn addition to the sew-in Flex-Foam FF77, there is now a 1-Sided Fusible FF78F1 and 2-Sided Fusible FF79F2.

Pellon was so generous to share a few yards of both fusible Flex-Foam products for me to try out and document my impressions.

Quilted Cube Case Moore Approved Pellon Fusible Flex Foam FF77Currently, the fusible Flex-Foam is available at Hancock Fabrics, Jo-Ann’s – by the bolt,  and Amazon. Pellon also expects it to roll out to Overstock in the near future.

Personally, I have found Jo-Ann’s and Overstock to be the best outlets for purchasing interfacing.

Overstock sells Pellon Shape-Flex SF101 in a 20 inch 10 yard bolt for $23.99!

Jo-Ann’s runs frequent sales on Flex-Foam and interfacings by the bolt, so it’s not difficult to pick those up for 50 percent off.

So what’s the difference between sew-in and fusible Flex-Foam?

PELLON FLEX-FOAM FF77

Description: 100% Polyester lightweight foam stabilizer, sewing machine safe, machine wash warm on gentle cycle, tumble dry low or dry clean.

Price per inch: .69 cents based on Jo-Ann’s sale price of $49.99 per 20-inch 10 yard bolt (50 percent off promotion)

Projects using Pellon Flex-Foam: 

Moore Approved Swoon Patterns Nora Doctor Bag Alison Glass Sun Print Lizzy House Natural History Fabric front

Nora Doctor Bag by Swoon Patterns

Free Spirit Fabrics Anna Maria Horner Loominous Woven Yarn Dyed Headlines Grape Metallic Plum Placemats Flipped OverLoominous Placemats

Pellon Flex Foam Fabric Basket Carolyn Friedlander Doe Fabric Robert Kaufman Sage LadderFabric Basket

PELLON 1-SIDED FUSIBLE FLEX-FOAM FF78F1

Description: 100% Polyester lightweight one-sided fusible foam stabilizer consisting of a layer of foam sandwiched between two layers of soft fabric, sewing machine safe, machine wash warm on gentle cycle, tumble dry low or dry clean.

Price per inch: .73 cents based on Jo-Ann’s sale price of $62.99 per 20-inch 10 yard bolt (this seems to be a frequent promotion)

Project using Pellon 1-Sided Fusible Flex-Foam: 

Quilted Cube Case Moore Approved Quilting Brambleberry Ridge Gold Pink Dots Cotton and Steel Basics Finished Bag Outside Free Tutorial GraphicFree Tutorial: Quilted Cube Case

Moore Approved Bound Challenge Art Gallery Fabrics April Rhodes Swoon Patterns Nora Doctor Bag Gold Hardware Front View AngleBound Challenge Nora Doctor Bag by Swoon Patterns

Initially, I was expecting the fusible version of Pellon Flex-Foam to be exactly the same as the original with adhesive on one or both sides.

That’s not correct at all.

In a side-by-side comparison, the 1-sided fusible Flex-Foam (left) is definitely thicker and the foam appears to be denser.

Moore Approved Pellon Flex Foam Comparison Sew In 1 One Sided Fusible review angled viewYou can clearly see here that the fusible Flex-Foam (left) is well over 1/8 of an inch, while the sew-in type is almost exactly 1/8 inch.

Moore Approved Pellon Flex Foam Comparison Sew In 1 One Sided Fusible review thickness depthThe adhesive on the fusible Flex-Foam is NOT at all like the Bosal In-R-Form Plus Unique Fusible Foam – which consists of glue dots. Instead, it’s an extremely thin layer that’s barely noticeable. You have to look closely to differentiate the adhesive side – it’s SLIGHTLY frosted/textured.

Moore Approved Pellon Flex Foam Comparison Sew In 1 One Sided Fusible review glue sideAdmittedly, I was nervous about using a fusible foam in projects. Past experiences yielded fabric that looked bubbly and crinkled once fused to the foam.

imageThis Fantasia unicorn print Tudor Bag is the perfect example using the Bosal product.

I’m thrilled to report that the adhesive on Pellon 1-Sided Fusible Flex-Foam works terrific. It fused on easily, quickly, and the fabric really stays put – even through constant manhandling and turning of a bag.

Quilted Cube Case Moore Approved Main Fabric Fused to Pellon Fusible Flex Foam Pink Gold Brambleberry Ridge DotsClose-up view of fabric fused to Pellon Flex-Foam 1-Sided Fusible.

Quilted Cube Case Moore Approved Top Gusset fabric Brambleberry Ridge Pink Roses Gold Zipper Cotton Steel Pink Gold Dots Trim Quilted Pieces GraphicsWith the Quilted Cube Case, I quilted the exterior panels with no trouble at all. Look how much that quilting stands out!

Pellon Fusible Flex-Foam is without a doubt my new favorite fusible foam stabilizer. If choosing between the original and fusible, I will pay the extra few dollars to get the fusible.

It will save me a lot of time and hassle in basting and pinning the sew-in version, and has added loft.

There are so many applications I can see for using both the 1-Sided and 2-Sided Fusible Flex-Foam – bags, placemats, miniature quilts, coasters, baskets, play mats, etc…

Soon I plan to bust out the 2-Sided Fusible Flex-Foam – any suggestions for what I should try next?

Thank you Pellon for making such fine quality products!

See you next time!

-Jennifer


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