Stabilizers are fundamentally essential in machine embroidery but how do you know which one to use? There are dozens of different kinds of machine embroidery stabilizers so it is no wonder that choosing the right one can be quite confusing. Stabilizers support stitches, ensuring that your embroidery looks great for a long period of time and wear.
Stabilizer Types
There are three basic kinds of stabilizers: tear-away, cut-away, and those that disappear. Choosing the right one depends on your project, stitch count, and fabric used.
Tearaway stabilizer is generally used for lower stitch count designs stitched on stable, woven fabrics. The idea is that you can easily remove the stabilizer by tearing it away without damaging whatever you are stitching. Examples would be heirloom techniques and Redwork or linework.
Cutaway stabilizers are typically a good choice for clothing and items that stretch, will be laundered often, and for designs with heavier stitch counts. You can read more about choosing between tearaway and cutaway stabilizers here.
Disappearing stabilizers include water-soluble as well as heat-away varieties. Both work quite well with freestanding machine applique. You can see a tutorial here.
Both look like a clear film. One washes away while the other beads up and brushes off with heat from an iron. Read more about heat-away stabilizers here.
Both heat-away and wash-away stabilizers are also available in a fabric form or a fabric-like substance. Wash-away fabric-looking stabilizers are perfect for freestanding lace and in-the-hoop projects. You can read more about wash-away stabilizers here. Heat-away fabric stabilizers are perfect for projects that cannot be washed..
Light, Medium, and Heavy Weight Stabilizers
Stabilizer weights can be just as confusing as types. Machine embroidery designs are made up of stitches. The stitch count determines which stabilizer weight you should use. Let’s say that you need a medium weight stabilizer for your design. Do you know what that means? Bonnie has outlined which weight of stabilizer to use according to stitch counts as well as what weights (in ounces) are considered light, medium, and heavy stabilizers here.
Debbie Henry
Sew Inspired by Bonnie
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