Skulls in Design

Skulls are so popular as a motif for accessories, clothing, and jewelry. I'm into them for my scrub caps. They're nice for the men who want to show they're tough while working in a caring profession.

I like the whimsical skull designs, too.

With Halloween coming up in a few months, I'm designing some skull themed caps.

I found this "rhine-stud" applique in the clearance bin at a fabric or craft store (I forget which store). It is made by Dritz. I can try it out for cheap! So cute, but how does it work? How good is the adhesive? Will it interfere with my sewing?

When you unwrap the applique, it is sandwiched between a sticky mesh piece of plastic (back) and a clear piece of plastic (front). You peel off the mesh and place the design on the fabric. I used the faint lines you see on this fabric to help me center it.

You place a pressing cloth (a.k.a. rag) over the clear plastic and iron without steam. This melts the adhesive slightly and adheres the design to the fabric gently. Then you flip the fabric over and iron again. This melts the adhesive the rest of the way. Don't iron too much or you'll melt the whole thing and end up with a mess.

Let it cool, then gently peel back the clear plastic.

This step was difficult. Some of the little rhinestones wanted to stay stuck to the clear plastic layer and detached from the fabric below. I repositioned the clear plastic (restoring the design) and ironed it again, then resumed peeling. This helped but it didn't eliminate the problem. What finally worked was to re-iron, then massage the plastic over the design while it was slightly warm.

It still required a delicate touch when peeling off the top plastic.

I'll make up the cap, give it a wash and maybe test drive with one of my coworkers before selling.