Laminating fabric is easier than you think and can help you achieve a water resistant project easily! I am making the Hudson Tote from Sallie Tomato. It is a super cute lunch box type bag and I wanted to make it water and stain resistant. So I’m here to share with you all the pros and cons of laminating your fabric.
how to laminate your fabric
All you need to laminate your fabric is two things!
- Cotton fabric
- Heat N Bond: Iron-On Vinyl I needed two of these to laminate both the interior and exterior fabrics for the Hudson Tote.
PRO TIP: Make sure there are no hairs or threads on your fabric that might get laminated between the layers.
Pros and Cons of Laminating your fabric
The pros to laminating your fabric are pretty obvious- the result is water resistant fabric that you can use on projects like tote bags or make-up bags. This make the fabric much easier to clean and keep things insulated.
There are, however, several cons to consider. First of all, laminating fabric adds a layer of vinyl and therefore making the fabric thicker. When you are sewing bags and totes it becomes harder to sew with thicker fabric.
Second of all, the vinyl makes the fabric just a bit stiffer and more difficult to maneuver. It definitely has no stretch or “give” anymore. So, you have to be really precise.
Lastly, laminating your fabric uses a certain amount of glue which will inevitably start to gum up your sewing machine needle. This isn’t that big of a deal- but you will need to replace your needle when you are done with this project.
Overall Thoughts
Overall, I love the outcome! I definitely wouldn’t go around laminating fabric left and right. It only makes sense on certain projects. It did make the bag more difficult to make and maneuver because it was thicker and stiffer- making it harder to turn and bend.
