Machine Embroidery 101: Stabilizers

As an embroidery machine is chugging along, and the embroidery arm is moving the hoop, there is always at least a tiny bit of what is called push and pull on the fabric, that causes puckering on a project. This is why a stabilizer is necessary. The needle will cause more pulling/puckering on a knit fabric because the fabric has more stretch to it, especially if at a 45 degree angle (bias of the fabric). The push on the fabric occurs, especially with large and/or dense designs as the needle travels from one part of the design to another. Large designs are almost always digitized to sew from the center of the design out to the edges so that the design lies evenly on the fabric.

If there is space between the fabric and the stabilizer, this can exacerbate the effect of both the pull and the push of the needle, so for best results, marry the stabilizer to the fabric if at all possible. Depending on the project and the fabric, this could mean using a fusible or sticky stabilizer, or it could mean hooping the fabric with the stabilizer.

Common mistakes when trying to substitute stabilizers include:

• Adding extra layers of stabilizer
• Using incorrect stabilizers
• Using materials other than actual stabilizer as stabilizer

No matter how tempted you are to substitute coffee filters or paper towels, please understand that they can damage your machine in several ways, so that is a big no-no. Also, it’s pretty embarrassing when you have to explain to the repair tech why they were cleaning paper towel bits out of your machine.

RBD & ME Machine Embroidery Icon Guide

The type of fabric you’re embroidering on will help you determine where to start with stabilizing. Knits have a lot of stretch, and as a rule, it’s a good idea to use a fusible mesh on the back. This will stop the stretch in all directions with just one layer. The piece of stabilizer that is fused onto the item (i.e., a t-shirt or sweatshirt) needs to be large enough so that all four sides of the stabilizer and the fabric are caught in the hoop. For projects like this, a topping is often used too- a thin film placed on top of the project during embroidery, that will later wash away in water. The purpose of adding this is to keep the stitches from sinking into the knit during embroidery.

Tear-away stabilizers are used for woven fabrics, and occasionally as an added stabilizer for knits. For the best stability, tear-away should be hooped with the fabric. That keeps everything where it needs to be and decreases space between the fabric and stabilizer. There are times when the fabric cannot be hooped, a basting stitch is added to tack the fabric down to the stabilizer before the embroidery is sewn. Another option, is adhesive tear-away. This is a favorite for woven (not plush) towels like kitchen towels. This firmly holds the item in place during embroidery, then tears away cleanly from the edges. The stabilizer that remains under the embroidery becomes soft and more flexible after washing.

At RBD & M.E., we show you what stabilizers to use, and how to apply them in our projects for best results. We have tested and re-tested all projects using the exact fabric, stabilizers, and techniques that we recommend. The embroidery designs are also digitized according to our standards, with the recommended stabilizers in mind. If you decide to substitute or add stabilizers, please do so understanding that it may alter the results. We are always happy to help!