Imagine What You Can Do with Fabric as Stiff as Paper
This is Sure to Become Your Go-To Fabric Stabilizer!
Every once in a while we come across a product that really gets our heads buzzing with creative ideas. That’s certainly true with this inventive fabric stabilizer.
Terial Magic is a spray stabilizer that gives fabric the stiffness of paper. Once treated and pressed, fabric will not fray, it will crease nicely and it can be used in so many creative ways.
Origami ornament made with fabric treated with Terial Magic. Found at The Quilt Show (no instructions provided. Google paper origami projects).
Plus, it will not flake or gum up the iron like starch can. And, it will not gum up a machine needle. And, unlike starch, hand sewing is just as easy as it is with untreated fabric.
The stabilizer can remain in the fabric indefinitely without attracting bugs like starch can. It also washes out completely. Consequently, it can be used for stiffened fabric projects as well as for simplifying several aspects of quilt construction.
The following video is a nice introduction to the product and how the stiffened fabric can be used.
Click here to watch the video at YouTube if it doesn’t play on your device.
Terial Magic can be used for any project where you’d use starch or a stabilizer, or when you want to avoid frayed edges. That includes, but is not limited to:
- Machine Embroidery – without a backing
- Reverse Applique
- Paper Piecing
- Raw Edge Applique
- Hand Applique – crease edges so they stay folded under
- Tee Shirt Quilts – remove the stretch while cutting and sewing
- EPP Hexagons – without paper or tacking down seam allowances
- Standard Quilt Piecing – to avoid stretchy bias edges and to otherwise keep patches in shape
- Stamping on Fabric
- Scrapbooking and Card Making with Fabric
- Printing on Fabric – without a backing
- 3d Flowers
- Die Cutting
The next video, by the product’s designer Terry McFeely, goes into more detail about using Terial Magic. Notice the beautiful fabric flowers she created.
Click here to watch the video at YouTube if it doesn’t play on your device.
Toward the end of that video, the designer suggests spraying folded and other 3D projects with an acrylic matte spray to protect them from drops of water. This will also work if you’re concerned about them drooping with high humidity (although that has not been reported to be a problem).
Fabric flowers made using Terial Magic. Find more fun projects on the Terial Arts Facebook page.
Judy Gula, Fiber and Mixed Media Artist has written a nice overview and lists some of the ways the stabilizer can be used. It’s great for stiffening fabric for printing, for die-cutting machines, hand applique, and many other uses. See her photos of using it to stabilize fabric for machine embroidery at the link below.
Click here for the “Product Review: Terial Magic” article.
Suzy from Suzy Quilts is also excited about this product. She shares her thoughts in the following article and provides a free PDF of printable sewing labels for use with it.
Jenny from Craft Test Dummies did several experiments with Terial Magic. Read her review below for more insights about the product, including its use in making a mini quilt.
Click here for Jenny’s “Product Review: Terial Magic” article.
Finally, Clair Passmore has also written an informative review. She shares her comparison between Terial Magic and starch as well as other valuable insights.
Click here for Claire’s “Trying out a new stabilising product: Terial Magic” article.
Terial Magic comes in several sizes. You might want to start with a small bottle to experiment with.
We’ve found two free tutorials to get you started experimenting with Terial Magic.
The first is for a beautiful folded fabric angel from Punch with Judy.
The second is for a folded fabric box with a lid from 30 Minute Crafts.
There is so much you can do with Terial Magic that it’s likely to become a staple in your sewing room. With it on hand you can forget about starch and other stabilizers, as well.
Check out the Terial Magic website for videos to help you get started.
In case you missed it, here’s another link to purchase some for yourself.
