Sewing Techniques
What Stabiliser?
Choosing a stabiliser that’s right for the job can be tricky, we’ve explained which ones suit!
There are a great range of stabilisers on the market today enabling machine embroidery to be used for a variety of 
techniques and on all types of fabrics
Embellishment has become one of the most popular uses for today’s sewing machines and the range of stabilisers available is constantly increasing to meet the changing demands of new fabrics and techniques. Manufacturers are working hard to ensure that stabilisers work effectively with modern materials so that even the most tricky, delicate, and stretchy fabrics can be embroidered successfully. They also have to take into account environmental issues, wear and tear on sewing machines, compatibility with embroidery threads, as well as the comfort of the wearer.
We take a look at the latest products to emerge, along with one or two popular favourites, to see how they can enhance embroidery in all its varied forms. The particular brands we have selected for this article are ones that are readily available and, from our own experience, provide high quality products.
Embroidery Designs
Selecting the best stabiliser for an application depends largely on the design to be used and the fabric (if any) it is to be worked on. Dense, heavy designs, with a high stitch count will invariably need a good level of support to ensure that the finished result is smooth and pucker-free. Light, open designs will require less stabiliser if they are to avoid becoming too stiff and solid.
HANDY HINT: A good indication that a design is not properly stabilized is if the ‘registration’ is out, ie the outline does not correctly meet the rest of the design, leaving unsightly gaps or revealing underlay stitches.
Permanent Stabilisers
Permanent stabilizers are ideal for any application where it can remain under the finished embroidery, e.g. garments or items made from opaque fabrics such as wool, cotton, denim, linen and heavyweight silk. Traditional cutaway, tearaway, or fusible stabilisers have always been ideally suited to medium or heavyweight fabrics, but some of the new products around today are particularly good for lightweight cottons and knits. An advantage of a permanent stabiliser is that it provides ongoing support to the finished embroidery whilst being worn or used, and during the laundering process.
Removable Stabilisers
One of the fastest growing areas for new stabilisers is in the removable stabiliser market with highly versatile products being introduced that fall into the categories of being either water soluble or heat soluble. These products are particularly good for ‘creative’ styles of embroidery such as free-standing lace, free-motion embroidery, and filigree techniques using ribbons and yarns. They are also ideal for embroidering on sheer or fluid fabrics. These products have the advantage of being completely removable or, in the case of water soluble products, can be partially removed to allow shaping of embroideries into bowls, vessels, 3D embellishments etc.
Many stabilisers can serve a wide variety of purposes in general sewing and crafts as well as machine embroidery so always check the instruction leaflet for other ideas. Design piecing, crazy patchwork, transferring designs to fabrics, strengthening buttonholes, and appliqué are just a few possible applications for these versatile products, so it’s worth experimenting, and making a note of products mentioned in Sewing World’s project pages. Many stabiliser products are available in economical rolls as well as test packs, so be sure to check out the best way to buy!
Main Brands
Madeira
Madeira have been supplying stabilisers for many years and their classic ‘Avalon’ water soluble and ‘Cotton Soft’ tear-away products have been extremely popular in the machine embroidery market. They have recently added some exciting and versatile new products to these ranges and introduced a new ‘Super’ range of cut-away and heat-away stabilisers.
Avalon – The original film is still a good choice for lightweight designs, and as a topping for fabrics with pile.
Avalon Plus – A non-woven stabiliser that feels like fabric. It is ideal for free-motion and computerised embroidery as it doesn’t tear easily and can support dense designs.
Avalon Ultra – A heavy-duty film type, it is excellent for lace, cutwork and 3D ‘shaped’ embroideries.
Avalon Fix – A brand new product on the market that has a fabric feel but with an adhesive on one side, making it perfect for positioning decorative threads, yarns and fabric snips that can then be stitched over to create wonderful one-of-a-kind fabrics.
Cotton Soft – Ideal as a general purpose tear-away and particularly good for bedding and children’s wear, it is available in black or white. Use in the hoop for computerised embroidery, and under the hoop for free-motion stitching.
Cotton Fix – A tear-away stabiliser with an adhesive on one side that is ideal for embroidering fabrics that are too small to hoop such as cuffs, or for textured fabrics that would be damaged by hooping, such as velvet or suede.
Cotton Stable – A new product in the range that is an iron-on, tear-away stabiliser. It still has the comfortable feel of cotton and is ideal for dense designs and for preventing fabrics from stretching.
Super Strong – A heavy duty cut-away stabiliser that is ideal for dense embroidery with a high stitch count. Available in black or white.
Super Stable – An iron-on, cut-away stabiliser that is ideal for dense designs on stretch fabrics.
Super Film – A heavy duty heat-away film that is brilliant for making badges and logos. The surplus can be ironed away eliminating the need for backing felt and tedious trimming.
Gütermann Sulky
Two major companies have recently joined forces to provide a wonderful range of products for machine embroiderers. In addition to their extensive range of threads, they also offer a great range of stabilisers with a proven track record.
Solvy – Multi-purpose water soluble stabiliser that is ideal for lightweight fabrics or as a ‘topping’ for napped fabrics. Layers can be ironed together to form a heavy-duty version for free-standing motifs.
Ultra Solvy – A heavy-duty film type stabilizer, it is excellent for free-standing lace, supporting delicate fabrics, and shaping 3D designs. Cut away surplus and soak in warm water to remove.
Paper Solvy – Designs can be drawn, copied or printed with an ink-jet printer. It makes a great base for patchwork and quilting applications.
Tear Easy – A lightweight tear-away stabiliser that can be used singly or in multiple layers for heavier fabrics, and provides great support for computerised or free-motion embroidery.
Super Strong – Heavy-duty, cut-away stabiliser that is ideal for designs with a high stitch count. It can also be used with KK 2000 temporary spray adhesive for items that are too small to hoop.
Totally Stable – Medium weight iron-on that can be re-used (depending on fabric). It can also be ironed onto light coloured fabric so that it can be put through an ink jet printer. Tear away after stitching.
Ultra Stable – A strong iron-on stabiliser that is ideal for stitching dense designs and eliminating stretch. Cut away after stitching.
Filmoplast Stic 120 & 140 - Both these products are ‘sticky’ stabilisers so eliminate the need for a hoop when stitching small items or fabrics that cannot be hooped such as velvet or suede. The 140 is the heavier weight version, both can be reused to minimise waste.
Heat Away – The original brush-away stabiliser, it disintegrates after a few seconds when ironed on a cotton/linen setting. It provides an excellent temporary stabiliser for fabrics that cannot be washed.
This stretchy textured fabric embroidered beautifully using Floriani’s ‘No Show Mesh Fusible’ over a piece of ‘Stitch N Wash
Floriani’s ‘Heat n Sta’ fusible fleece makes quilting a breeze. We used a design from Brother’s Innov-is 4000D embroidery machine
Floriani
These products are well known in the USA, but relatively new to the UK market. We’ve tested many of their products and were very impressed with both the quality and originality of the range. In addition to the instructions supplied with each product, Floriani also offer a useful CD by Kay Brooks that guides the user through the product range and takes the mystery out of stitch counts, density, fabric weights, and dealing with stretch.
Wet N Stick Hoopless – This features a moisture-activated stabiliser that holds small or hard-to-hoop items in place for stitching. After stitching is complete simply cut-away surplus around the embroidery.
Wet N Stick Cutaway Hoopless – Similar to the above stabiliser but heavier in weight for handling textured fabrics such as fleece, chenille and sweater knits.
Medium Tearaway – A good, general purpose, tear-away that works with any weight of woven fabric and only requires a single layer.
Heat N Sta Tearaway – Iron-on stabiliser for fabrics that tend to shift such as lightweight cottons and linens.
Stitch N Wash – This unique stabiliser is a combination of soluble and non-soluble fibres. It’s particularly suited to delicate fabrics where the surplus stabilizer can be easily removed whilst leaving some non-soluble fibres under the stitching to provide light support.
Wet N Gone – A good, water-soluble stabiliser that is ideal for lace and free standing motifs.
Wet N Gone Fusible – This handy stabiliser combines the benefits of iron-on and water-soluble in one product. Great for supporting lightweight fabrics such as organza or tulle, it is easily removed after stitching.
No Show Nylon Mesh - This brilliant product is available in beige as well as traditional white to minimise show through of stabiliser on light coloured garments, it is extremely soft making it comfortable to wear. A fusible version is also available.
Cutaway Medium/Cutaway Medium Fusible – Ideal choices for embroidering on unstable fabrics with medium stitch count designs. Cutting away the stabiliser after stitching eliminates the risk of damaging delicate stitches.
Cutaway Heavy – Ideal for dense designs and medium to heavyweight fabrics.
Heat N Sta Fleece – A brilliant product for quilters, this iron-on fleece ensures fabric and wadding stay smoothly together, plus it’s washable and safe to tumble dry.
Aquatics
These ranges of stabilisers, as the name suggests, are exclusively water soluble and are great for all sorts of creative embroidery applications. The packs come with helpful instructions, and in some cases sample projects to help the embroiderer get the best use from them.
Aquasol – A soluble stabiliser with the feel of fabric, it is strong enough for dense stitching without tearing. It can also be used as a topping for fabrics with nap.
Bond – A brilliant product for creating unique pieces of fabric from decorative ribbons, yarns, threads, and snips of fabric, it has an adhesive on one side but is completely soluble. Also works well for appliqué.
Romeo – This is a heavyweight film that is ideal for lace, free-standing motifs and ‘shaped’ embroideries. It is also a good choice for dense free motion embroidery as it can be used without a hoop.
Paper – This particular product is ideal for transferring designs to fabric as it can be put through an ink jet printer, or freehand drawing can be used to create a backdrop for stitching. Once the embroidery is complete it can be completely dissolved in water.
Stockist information for Stabilisers:
Madeira, contact Groves & Banks, tel: 01844 258100, www.groves-banks.com
Gütermann Sulky, contact GS UK, tel: 0115 844 8000, www.directembroidery.co.uk
Floriani, contact Lords Sew-Knit Centre, tel: 01254 389171, www.lordsewing.co.uk
Acquatics, contact Barnyarns, tel: 0870 870 8586, www.barnyarns.com
Ruth Cox is a freelance Computerised Machine Embroidery expert who writes for Sewing World magazine and runs courses on computerised machine embroidery for Janome Sewing machines. For further details or to contact Ruth email: ruthcoxtraining@yahoo.co.uk.
Nb: This article first appeared in Sewing World, June 2006. For further details of Sewing World magazine, visit: www.sewingworldmagazine.com or tel: 01684 588500.
