Embroidery Stabilizers Buying Guide

Embroidery stabilizers, also known as backings, provide crucial support and stability to fabrics during embroidery. They help prevent tunneling, distortion, and puckering, ensuring clean and precise stitching. Understanding the types and uses of embroidery stabilizers helps in selecting the right product for your project. By choosing the appropriate stabilizer, you can achieve professional and polished results, ensuring your designs stay crisp and stable. Here is a detailed guide on the different types of stabilizers:

Cutaway Stabilizers

Cutaway stabilizers provide permanent support to embroidery designs. They stay on the garment and are trimmed around the design after stitching.

Uses: Ideal for stable foundation; used on knits and other stretchy fabrics to prevent distortion.

Cutaway Stabilizer Weights

• Light - Excellent for light weight knits such as t-shirts with low stitch counts.
• Medium - Excellent for medium weight stretchy fabrics such as fleece, pique knits, etc. as well as medium stitch counts.
• Heavy - Provides maximum stability on heavy weight fabrics such as heavy fleece or jackets.
  

Specialty Cutaway Stabilizer Types

• No Show stabilizers are soft, sheer, stable, and translucent nylon-reinforced cutaway backings. Specifically designed for left chest applications.
• PolyPro Performance embroidery backing is designed to reduce puckering when embroidering microfiber performance shirts and moisture wicking materials.
• Stretchy Knit is a woven stabilizer that provides the ultimate support and stability to the most difficult category of knitted materials.
• Jumbo Cut is an embroidery stabilizer for the largest hoops.

All Cutaway Backings / Stabilizers

Tearaway Stabilizers

Tearaway stabilizers provide temporary support and are easily torn away after embroidery, leaving only the stitched design.

Uses: Tearaway stabilizers are commonly used on towels, scarves, and regular woven fabrics where permanent support is not needed.

Tearaway Stabilizer Weights

Firm Tearaway Stabilizers

• Light Weight Firm Tearaway - Firm, crisp, and easy to tear away. Tears neatly around stitched area.
• Medium Weight Firm Tearaway - A good all-purpose tearaway stabilizer that is ideal for woven materials, fleece, and caps.
• Heavy Weight Firm Tearaway  - Firm, crisp, and easy to tear away. Tears neatly around the stitched area.

Soft Tearaway Stabilizers

• Medium Weight Soft Tearaway - Designed for light to medium stitch counts. A good all-purpose tearaway that is ideal for woven materials, fleece, and caps.
• Heavy Weight Soft Tearaway  - Soft, pliable, and holds larger stitch counts than traditional tearaways.

Specialty Tearaway Stabilizer Types

• Tear 'N Wash is a tearaway stabilizer that dissolves in the wash. Simply tear excess stabilizer from the finished embroidery.
• Jumbo Cut is an embroidery stabilizer for the largest hoops.
• Piece 'N Stitch is a tearaway stabilizer that dissolves in the wash. Simply tear excess stabilizer from the finished embroidery. Any remaining residue will dissolve over time with regular washing. More than one washing may be needed for complete removal.

All Tearaway Backings / Stabilizers

Fusible Stabilizers

Fusible stabilizers have an adhesive coating that bonds to fabric when heated, providing extra stability and preventing stretching or puckering.

Uses: For delicate or stretchy fabrics, providing a reinforcement layer.

Fusible Stabilizer Types

• Fuse 'N Stick is a unique double-sided adhesive stabilizer that is ideal for applique. One side has a low-melt adhesive that is activated by using a medium setting on a hand iron, while the other contains a pressure-sensitive adhesive protected by a paper backing. Eliminates the need for spray adhesive.
• Fuse 'N Tear adds firmness to lightweight stable materials. It is a firm, crisp, fusible tearaway.
• Fuse So Soft is a lightweight tricot with a permanent fusible on one side. Light and soft, Fuse So Soft is excellent for quilting when a permanent stabilizer is needed. Also works well on silk and satin. Can be used as a backing behind metallic embroidery for a soft feel against the skin. Use a medium to high setting on a household iron or in a heat press to activate the fusible.
• Fusible No Show has the same qualities as regular No Show, but has a low-melt adhesive on one side that allows it to be adhered temporarily to a fabric to add body for embroidery. Highly stable, it also prevents stretching of knits while hooping or during the embroidery process. The adhesive is activated with a medium setting on a household hand iron, and is easy to reposition.
• Peel 'N Stick is for holding embroidery pieces that cannot or should not be hooped. It is ideal for items that are too small for a hoop or that could show hoop marks.
• Sew 'N Wash fusible stabilizer is a soft, stable fabric designed to dissolve easily in water. It is used as a base to embroider lace or freestanding embroidery.
• Patch Attach is used to make your own embroidered patches for clothing and accessories.

All Fusible / Adhisive Products

Water-Soluble Stabilizers

Water-soluble toppings improve embroidery quality on textured fabrics by preventing stitches from sinking.

Uses: Commonly used on high-pile fabrics like fleece, terry cloth, corduroy, and velvet; also used on stretchy fabrics like activewear.

Water-Soluble Stabilizer Types

• Topping is a plastic topping used on the top side of fabrics such as terrycloth, velour, loosely knit pique, sweaters, corduroy, and fleece.
• Heavy Duty Water Soluble Stabilizer is for making embroidered patches for clothing and accessories. Or, it can be used with other free-standing embroidery designs.
• Sew 'N Wash stabilizer is a soft, stable mesh designed to dissolve easily in water. It is used to embroider on open weave materials or when no stabilizer should remain.

All Water Soluble Stabilizer