Are you intimidated by all the choices of stabilizers available? This guide was written just for you! It covers basic types of stabilizers, their common uses and tips, brands available and even contact information for where to purchase the stabilizers. Whether you live in a huge metropolis or a rural town, you’ll be able to find the stabilizers you need to make your next great embroidery project.

This guide will also prepare you for an ongoing series that will begin with the September/October issue. We will focus on a type of stabilizer and create a project that uses that stabilizer. It will be an excellent exercise that will increase your embroidery confidence and stabilizer know-how.

Tear-Away Stabilizers
Best for woven fabrics, a tear-away should be easy to remove. Tear-away remains in the design, providing a foundation for embroidery throughout the life of the item.

Tips
1. Only use when the act of tearing away will not distort the fabric or the embroidery design. (You wouldn’t use a tear-away on a delciate fabric.)

2. Use it with medallion-type designs as it’s difficult to remove from small, open areas within a design.

3. Tear-away should tear in both directions. When selecting one, give it a pull in both directions.

Cut-Away Stabilizers
Ideal for knits and loosely woven fabrics. A permanent stabilizer, cut-away should be trimmed to within a 1/4″ from the design edge.

Tips
1. Cut-away comes in a variey of weights from light weight (but strong) polymesh to heavy. Select a weight that will support the designs without changing the hand of the fabric.

2. Flaunt your professional embroidery skills and not your stabilizer. Avoid stabilizer show-through on garments by using a polymesh cut-away. Consider using white, beige or black cut-away to avoid stabilizer bleed-thru.

3. Many cut-aways are fusible products and if not, they work very well with temporary spray adhesive.

Heat-Away Stabilizers
Best for non-washable fabrics, sheer fabrics and fabrics too delicate for a tear-away.

Tips
1. Heat-away comes in two forms: film and woven and are completely removable when applied in the correct manner.

2. The film version of heat-away is removed with a dry iron and is often used as a topper.

3. The woven version is great for lace-making or creating fabric with thread. It will crumble when heated with a dry iron.

4. Always follow the manufacturer’s directions for best results when using heat-away.

Wash-Away Stabilizers
Wash-away can be used as both a backing and a topper and is available in many forms: plastic film, paper, liquid and woven.

Tips
1. The number one factor in using a wash-away is asking if the fabric can get wet. And not only can it get wet, but do you have the time to wet and dry the fabric?

2. Wash-away comes in a variety of weights; light is excellent as a topper and heavy is the best foundation for lace, edging and cutwork.

3. Some removal methods call for hot, cool or tepid water so read the manufacturer’s directions carefully.

4. Lightweight wash-away can be gently torn away from embroidery – a bonus if you want to avoid washing the item.

5. Small patches can be eliminated with a dampened cotton swab or toothbrush.

Miscellaneous Stabilizers
Specialty Stabilizers are perfect for making novelty embroidery projects.

Heat N Sta Fleece® is just like regular quilt batting but it’s fusible on one side – perfect for holding fabric still during the embroidery process when a little texture is desired.

Dry Cover-Up™ is the professional embroiderer’s solution to eliminating fabric bleed-thru on highly contrasting fabrics and threads.

Stitch N Shape® adds dimension to items such as hat brims, placemats and paper dolls.

Dream Weave Fusible® helps to protect delicate fabrics during the embroidery process by giving it more body without changing the fabric’s face or drape.