Steam-a-Seam 2: Lite or Regular?

I have been a fan of Steam-a-Seam 2 for a long time.  I usually use the regular weight instead of lite.  However, I just finished a quilt using regular weight Steam-a-Seam 2 and I realized how thick it is in some places.  So I ordered some Steam-a-Seam 2 lite and did some test blocks.

These two blocks were done with Steam-a-Seam 2 lite.  I was delighted with the new paper it's between.  It has a grid on the side where you need to mark your pieces.  This is definitely a great new feature.  It is also printable on a ink-jet printer making it a great time saver.  If only I had an ink-jet!  I liked how thin it was.  It came off the paper nicely without shredding.  However, when I got to the tips I found that when my needle punctured really close to the edge of the fabric, the fabric popped up off the background.  This rarely happens to mean with regular Steam-a-Seam 2.

Will I use Steam-a-Seam 2 lite again?  Yes, I will, but I still like Steam-a-Seam regular weight better.  The overall block was definitely more flexible with the lite Steam-a-Seam 2.  However, I know with the regular weight that nothing is going to move.  It's a trade-off.

My mother uses fusible a lot.  She doesn't agree with me at all and greatly dislikes Steam-a-Seam 2.  She says it gums up her needle.  This does happen to me, but I find I can simply wipe it off or if it gets really bad swab it with rubbing alcohol (I've not had to do this since starting this project, but have had to in the past a few times).  I have found in talking to many of my quilting friends that everyone likes a different stabilizer for a different reason.  The best thing to do is to try them out and see which you prefer.

Suzy