Bo-Nash Bonding Agent

Julie Yonge © 2008

While strolling down the isles of the recent Houston International Quilt Market, I came across a demo going on that really caught my eye. First of all the lady was from England (so yes, she had that delightful British accent we Americans love to hear); secondly, she was having such a good time, and thirdly, the product was so versatile and amazing! The product was Bo-Nash Bonding Agent (or Powder).

I had heard of Bo-Nash Bonding Powder, but had never used it so I decided to stay, watch the demo and talk with Beryl Emberson, the Nash Vice-President, and get acquainted with many of the wonderful things Bo-Nash Bonding Powder can do. It is a great product for repairing tears in fabric, moth or burn holes in wool blends or upholstery, turning up hems, etc. It is a wonderful mending tool to have on hand as it gives invisible repairs, even in sweaters! But I had never thought of using it for surface design and embellishments! Who knew? She showed me all kinds of wonderful ways to use this product that were so quick and easy.

Bo-Nash Bonding Powder is a great way to apply embellishments and ideal for surface design. Here are just a few of the ways it can be used in this fashion.

• Fantasy fabric, for example, can be made by sprinkling a layer of the bonding powder over an area of a base fabric. You then arrange “bits and pieces” (threads, glitter, fabric, yarn, whatever strikes your fancy) over the base fabric area and add a bit more powder. Cover the area with the Bo-Nash Ironing Sheet and iron with a hot iron. Voila! To capture your design in a layer of tulle or chiffon, just lay some over the top of your “bits and pieces” that you have bonded to the base fabric and free-motion quilt or embroider through your design. Bo-Nash will not gum up a machine needle at all. This method is also great for landscape designs.
• Bo-Nash is great to use in mixed media and textile art. Besides bonding fibers (“bits and pieces”), you can also lay down foil to fabrics and papers. You can foil using stencils or abstract designs. Angelina Fibers can be bonded together between the Bo-Nash Non-Stick Ironing Sheet. Using different amounts of the Angelina will result in either a lacy or thick finish. Cut out or molded shapes of Angelina fibers can be bonded to fabric, paper, wood, etc. using the Bo-Nash Bonding Powder.
• You can apply appliqués, motifs, lace or ribbon. Just use a wet paintbrush or spray bottle to dampen the wrong side of the appliqué piece and sprinkle on the Bo-Nash Bonding Powder – it doesn’t take a lot. Shake off excess or you can use a dry soft brush to brush away the excess. The powder will cling to the moisture and you are then able to place your appliqué piece in place. Once the piece is laid in place, again make sure any excess powder is blown or brushed away. You then cover with the ironing sheet and apply heat and it is bonded! You can sew through these afterwards if you desire with no problem. Bo-Nash Bonding Powder does not add stiffness – it stays soft and pliable with fabric, yet it allows for delicate washing if needed.

Here are a couple of pictures showing my repair of a tear in a knit top. I used a similarly colored small piece of fabric for the inside patch needed and then followed the instructions for invisible repair. Can you see it? It worked great and it has been laundered several times with absolutely no problems.

Here is a picture of a velvet purse with lace appliqués I had to make in a bit of a hurry for a special event. I used the Bo-Nash Bonding Powder to apply the lace and to bond/hem most of the seams so there would be no visible stitches. I did use a thick pile towel as well as the ironing sheet, being careful not to add sheen to the velvet.

Note: It is recommended to use the Bo-Nash Non-Stick Fiberglass Sheet instead of other pressing sheets as it is specifically made to use with the high heat required to bond Bo-Nash; glues, paints, waxes and interfacing will not stick to it. Another neat thing about the ironing sheet is that it can be used for photo transfer from paper onto fabric. It transposes the ink more intensely so that the clarity and color is better than other methods.

A detailed instruction pamphlet is included in the box with the Bo-Nash Bonding Powder that outlines all these different uses. To order or get more information about Bo-Nash Bonding Agent or other Bo-Nash products visit www.bonash.com . Here is a link to a video of Beryl demonstrating Bo-Nash 007 Bonding Powder at the Kansas City Quilting Expo: http://www.bonash.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/kansas_show.wmv.mov

They also have some other fun products such as cellophane foils and a pen that enables you to foil or apply fine glitter to your writing on all kinds of surfaces including paper, wood, plastic, and glass, (the Write ‘N’ Rub Creative Foiling Pen)…really cool!

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Editor: Published by: Pretty Impressive Stuff