Fabric stabilizer is an essential tool for using the embroidery features and built-in decorative stitches offered by today’s sewing machines. The tight, multi-directional stitches of machine embroidery put great stress on the fabric being stitched. Stabilizers hold the fabric flat and taut to keep puckers, thread nests, and distortions from developing during stitching. Some stabilizers also permanently strengthen embroidery on thin or stretchy fabrics to keep the embroidery design from getting distorted by wear and washing.
Temporary versus Permanent Embroidery Stabilizer
There are two basic types of stabilizers: temporary stabilizers, which are designed to keep the fabric flat and stiff during stitching, then be removed afterward; and permanent stabilizers, which are designed to be left under the stitches forever after sewing. Permanent stabilizers help protect and provide support for embroidery on stretchy or loosely woven fabrics. The main types of temporary embroidery stabilizers include wash-away stabilizer, heat-away stabilizer, tear-away stabilizer, and several do-it-yourself stabilizers. The primary permanent embroidery stabilizer is cut-away stabilizer.
Wash-Away Embroidery Stabilizer
As you'd guess from the name, wash-away stabilizer dissolves in water. This makes it a good choice for any project where it’s important for no trace of stabilizer to be left after sewing, such as embroidered lace or freehand embroidery. It’s also good for delicate or hard-to-mark fabrics, appliqué, redwork, heirloom sewing, towels, and table linens. It comes in weights from lightweight to ultra-heavyweight.
While stabilizers are usually placed under the embroidery fabric, designs embroidered on knits or terry cloth need to have a layer of stabilizer on top of the fabric to keep the loops from working their way up through the stitches after use. You can buy wash-away stabilizer with an adhesive back that sticks directly to the fabric. This is good for projects that are too small or odd-sized to hoop, such as ribbon weaving, collars, cuffs, buttonholes, or pockets.
Wash-away stabilizer can also be used as a pattern for free-motion quilting or embroidery. Simply draw the pattern on a piece of stabilizer, pin it to the fabric, stitch right over the lines, then dip in water to remove the stabilizer. Try this method instead of tear-away stabilizer for areas of dense quilting.
Wash-away stabilizers come as a see-through film, as a paper, or in spray-on or brush-on formats. You can make your own spray-on or brush-on stabilizer by pre-dissolving wash-away stabilizer in water, then spraying or brushing it directly onto the fabric.
Heat-Removable Embroidery Stabilizer
This type of stabilizer disintegrates when ironed. Use heat-away stabilizer for fabrics that can stand high heat, but don’t tolerate washing well, or to create stitching that runs off the edge of a garment hem or quilt binding. Heat-away stabilizer also works well for lace and thread appliqués. It can be used as a topper for terry cloth or knits. Heat-removable stabilizer is faster to remove than the water-soluble variety, since the finished product doesn’t need to dry after the stabilizer is off.
Tear-Away Embroidery Stabilizer
Tear-away stabilizer is torn off the stitches after the embroidery is done. It is recommended for firmly woven fabrics that can resist the stress of tearing. If the stitches in your embroidery design are very dense, it can sometimes be hard to tear the stabilizer away completely without distorting the design. Don’t use tear-away stabilizer on very delicate fabrics, because they may tear or distort when you pull the stabilizer away from the embroidery stitches. Tear-away stabilizer comes in an adhesive-backed form for small or odd-shaped embroideries.
D-I-Y Temporary Stabilizers
Spray starch and sizing are also sometimes used as temporary stabilizers for simpler decorative stitching.
Cut-Away Permanent Embroidery Stabilizer
Permanent stabilizers, unlike temporary ones, are left under the stitches forever after stitching. Cut-away stabilizer is the main type of permanent stabilizer. It is hooped with the fabric, then trimmed away from the embroidered area with embroidery scissors after stitching. Cut-away stabilizer helps protect and provide stiffening for embroidery on stretchy or loosely woven fabrics. It’s also a good choice for most projects that that will be framed, since it won’t be visible behind the main fabric. Cut-away stabilizer is available in both black and white.
D-I-Y Permanent Stabilizers
Iron-on fleece or fusible batting can also serve as permanent stabilizers for decorative stitching, especially on quilts. Simply iron the fleece or batting to the back of the fabric you plan to embroider, then hoop it for stitching.
Should You Choose Lightweight or Heavyweight Stabilizer?
All types of stabilizer come in lighter and heavier weights that provide more or less stiffening power, depending on embroidery design and the fabric to be embroidered. As a general rule, choose a heavier-weight stabilizer for denser stitching and stretchier or less stable fabric. You can also apply more than one layer of stabilizer for extra strength.
Where to Buy Stabilizers
Stabilizers are made by many different manufacturers, including Pellon, Sulky, OED, and Floriani. They are available at fabric and craft stores, notions departments, and at many online vendors. With so many reputable brands, types, and weights of stabilizer available, there’s no substitute for testing out different stabilizers yourself to see what works best for the types of embroidery and fabrics you like to use.
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Christine Mann - Christine Mann writes about quilting, home decor sewing, and creativity in daily life.
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