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Stabilizers

One of the most significant aspects to creating professional-looking, top-quality embroidery is use of the right stabilizer. Stabilizers keep the fabric being decorated from distorting (due to the push and pull effects of adding thousands of new stitches to the material). In addition, backings enhance the machine's ability to form and hold stitches.

Stabilizing avoids wrinkles, puckering, misalignment, and other problems. The stabilizing method depends on the fabric type, the density of the design, and the intended use of the decorated fabric. There are various methods for stabilizing fabric, but usually some pieces of material called "stabilizers" or "interfacing" are added beneath the fabric. Good stabilizer minimizes hooping tension problems, helps threads lock into place, and minimizes distortion of the design. How much stabilizing and how much additional fiber is needed depends upon both the design characteristics (stitch lengths, densities, push and pull compensations, etc.) and the fabric's characteristics (heavy, thin, knit, woven, stretch, bias, etc.).

Proper stabilizing is extremely important to the ease of sewing, the appearance of the finished product, and the desirability of the finished product (softness, wearability, puckering, design separation), yet stabilizing seems to be among the last embroidery subjects to be studied. Puckering, "bullet proof" embroidery, embroidery too stiff or scratchy to be worn next to skin, and many other embroidery problems are related to stabilizers. Proper stabilization is the basis for good embroidery. Choosing a stabilizer is primarily based on the fabric you are using and secondly on the use for the embroidery. Most fabric being decorated falls somewhere between very stable (felt, wovens) and stretchy (knits).

Stabilizer uses:

• Stabilizers keep the fabric from moving during stitching, to prevent puckering and slipping
• Stabilizers help stitches form properly under the material being sewn
  
• Wash Aways can provide "lift" over the nap of towels or fabrics with nap, and can provide body to objects like Free Standing Lace bowls

Some stabilizers are more "machine friendly" than others. They don't gum up the needle, or leave a lot of chaff in the bobbin. Experience will tell, but a good indicator is the vendor's willingness to offer free samples. And you can review various embroidery forums (search Google for "forum:embroidery stabilizer").

Significant Stabilizer Article Links:

• Lebow Consulting
• Terradon Embroidery
• RNK / Floriani
• Beacon Fabric
• Madeira's stabilizers
• Long Creek Mills

What stabilizers are used for embroidering, when, and why
The most common types of stabilizers are wet-laid, non-woven, non-adhesive, medium-weight (2 oz) materials. These stabilizers offer softness (important for fabrics near skin), permanence, strength, and minimal stretching in any direction.

Tear-aways must be strong and rigid enough for hooping, protect against distortion, and be easily torn away after embroidery, leaving a clean edge.

Cut-aways must be cut away from the fabric, since they are usually stronger than the embroidery threads and don't suffer from being cut by needle punches. Cut Away backings are normally preferred for materials that will be washed, or for thin or unstable fabrics like T-shirts. or where the embroidery has a high stitch density. Cut Aways leave nicer edges, are more comfortable to wear, and are created with longer fibers for greater stability during the life of the garment. Cut Away backing not only stabilizes a design during embroidery, it all prevents the design from stretching and puckering in the laundry and while wearing. 2 ounce backing is the most popular.

Iron-ons are excellent for stretchy fabrics; adding stability and resistance to distortion, shifting, sliding, puckering, and stretching.

Water-solubles can be used when the stabilizer must be removed from the embroidery. Available in clear films, or more dimensionally stable wovens. See wash-aways, below.

Adhesive stabilizers are often used to avoid hooping the fabric being decorated. Instead, the stabilizer is hooped, and the fabric is bonded to the stabilizer. The bonding, plus the basting (part of any good design for difficult materials) provide good stabilization.

What are the reasons for choosing a specific stabilizer

Comfort- Choose a cut-away when the backing will touch the skin. Tear-aways can be uncomfortable to wear against the skin.

Durability- Cut-aways are more durable than tear-aways. Tear-aways must be easily torn (so tearing away the backing doesnt rip out the embroidery threads).

What is a stabilizer

Stabilizers are created from dimensionally stable material which is added above (topping) or below (backing) the material being decorated.

What categories of stabilizer are available
Stabilizers have a few basic properties:

• Permanence: Should the stabilizer remain permanently as part of the garment, or should the stabilizer be removed after sewing
• Permanent: The stabilizer remains as part of the embroidery. Typically cut-aways.
• Semi-permanent: The stabilizer is of little value after the fabric is decorated. Adhesive paper and tear-away stabilizers are in this class, which dont survive active wear and washings. Use on stable material.
• Disappearing: The stabilizer disappears. Often used for lace or toppings.
  • Cold water Soluble ( liquid, plastic or woven)
  • Wash-away, Hot water soluble. No stability after repeated washings.
    
  • Melt away (disappears when heated with an iron).

• Intended Use:

• • Garment to be worn next to skin: Use a cut-away.
  • Garment that cannot be hooped easily: Consider hooping an adhesive backing, and sticking the garment to the backing. The design should include a basting pattern to adhere the backing to the garment.
  • Woven fabrics that won't be washed or worn, or sometimes caps: Use tear-away backing.
  • Metallic thread: If you are using metallic thread for embroidering, then it may be better not to use 100% polyester stabilizer. Instead use stabilizers with some natural component like cotton or poly-viscose as they are soft and friction-free.

• Weights:

• • Heavy (more than 2 oz) stabilizers are typically used on heavy materials.
  • Medium: 2oz fabrics are the normal workhorse.
  • Light: Less than 2 oz.
• Construction: Most stabilizers are non woven wet-laid. Plastic films are less stable.
• Removal: Excess stabilizer between the pattern and the hoop must usually be removed.
  • Cut-aways: Scissors.
  • Tear-aways: Torn away by hand.
  • Water Soluble: Spritzed with water, or soaked (washed) in water.
  • Heat Melt: Usually ironed away, with a paper between the iron and the material.
• Adhesivity:
  
  • Non-adhesive: The most common stabilizers are non-adhesive. Spray adhesives can be used to bond them to the fabric when desired.
  • Adhesive: An adhesive helps the stabilizer bond to the material being decorated. Can stick to needles, can be expensive. Wax paper can help keep needle from sticking, but chaff from paper causes problems, and it may be difficult to remove.
    
    • Tacky- The stabilizer has a permanently tacky coating, usually protected by peel-away paper.
    • Water Bonding- The adhesive is activated by a light spray of water. Careful, too much water and the stabilizer may dissolve.
    • Heat Bonding- The adhesive is activated by heat, usually a warm iron.
    • Adhesive papers- These have been mentioned, but I have no suggestions.

Embroidery Backings are designed to be placed under the fabric to be embroidered, while toppings are placed above the fabric. Good backings have the fiber to allow close stitches to be formed.

Permanent backings like cut-aways and tear-aways remain as part of the finished embroidery. Cut-aways offer superior stability after washing. Tear-aways deteriorate more than cut-aways during washing or stretching of the fabric, so they dont offer the same protection against fabric puckering, fabric stretching and deformation of embroideries after washing.

Wash-away toppings are used when the fabric cannot withstand high temperatures and when wetting the fabric is not a problem. Heat-away is a type of embroidery topping that is removed with a hot iron. Heat-away toppings will need an iron temperature of 260F (120C) (or higher). So, if the fabric and embroidery thread you are using can withstand this temperature, heat away topping may be the best option. Use a piece of paper, or as directed with your heat-away stabilizer instructions, on top of the embroidery when ironing away the heat away topping. Toppings are often floated above the embroidery, not hooped with the embroidery.

Toppings can be semi-transparent fabrics like tulle or organza, or water soluble materials. Toppings help keep stitches from sinking, improving the embroidery appearance.

A classic way to achieve a beautiful embroidery result, even with poor digitizing, hooping, and/or stretchy materials, is to use too much backing. Sure, the embroidery looks nice, but it's called "bullet-proof" because it's not natural appearing or comfortable to wear.

Stabilizer stories: Beginners will often hear about using plastic wrap, coffee filters, or paper bags as stabilizers. Dont do it!

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