How to Select The Ideal Machine Embroidery Stabilizer For Your Project

The embroidery digitizing industry is booming and the trend of making exquisite artwork has multifold. However, the industry has its pros and cons.

If you want to grow in the industry then it is imperative to know the technicalities it comes along with. The major two types of embroidery are hand embroidery and machine embroidery. In this article, we’ll talk about machine embroidery’s major tool that is the “Stabilizer”.

The stabilizer is one of the most overlooked aspects when it comes to machine embroidery. It is quite often ignored in the process. It’s right. 

There is no denying the fact that being an expert quilter or working in the embroidery industry for nearly a decade, we can daringly state that stabilizer is one of the most crucial part of the embroidery industry. 

One major difference of many between a beautifully crafted artwork and a poorly piece of embroidery design can be the correct use of the stabilizer.

When it comes to machine embroidery, whether you are doing the quilting on a hard fabric material or you want to make the designs that are soft and can be laundered with ease. The stabilizer plays a role as the basic foundation for both the success and failure of the embroidery design. It’s the base that helps to make the correct stitches. 

Using the wrong stabilizer can result in a disaster for your vector artwork. It can become distorted as there will be mismatched stitches, gaps in the fills, and uneven outlines. You must have got the idea of how essential it is to use the right type of stabilizer.

When you are choosing the stabilizer, you need to consider the type of embroidery artwork. What will be the density of the stabilizer? What will be the number of stitches and what is the fabric type and thread material? These questions will help you to choose the correct stabilizer.  

Bonus Tip:

To find the right type of stabilizer, you can check out the sample stabilizer packs having a sheet of descriptions, different types as well as recommendations. This will help you to find the right type of stabilizer. 

Basic Categories of Stabilizer

Let’s talk about the basic categories of stabilizer used in embroidery. There are three most common types of stabilizers. Each type has its specifications like the weight, stickiness, and fusible options. 

Apart from that, you can also use the speciality stabilizers depending upon the requirements.

Cutaway Stabilizer

The cutaway stabilizer is usually a non-woven stabilizer. This type of stabilizer is ideal for toil-type embroidery. One thing to keep in mind is that there are also other types of stabilizers like the woven stabilizer and nylon mesh that are used in the cutaway stabilizer.

Washaway Stabilizer

As the name suggests, the washaway stabilizer washes away the water completely. It comes in both plastic and meshes forms. To make the full use of this stabilizer, use it when you are working on sheer fabric material as it is helpful to remove all the traces of the stabilizer.  

Tearaway Stabilizer

It is a paper-like stabilizer having different weights and material - from soft to hard and crisp. This stabilizer is ideal for redwork designs that are used for linens. 

The redwork designs are made using the outline stitches. The stitches are stitched over themselves multiple times. The tearaway stabilizer helps in preventing the stitches from puckering and pulling. 

These are the three major types of stabilizers used in the embroidery industry. However, you are not limited to these only. You can the other types of stabilizers depending upon the needs and requirements of the embroidery projects.

Using More than One Stabilizer

This may confuse you a little bit as to why we use multiple stabilizers simultaneously. However, there is a need in some projects to use more than one. For instance, if you come across a filled area embroidery that has a great volume of hard stitches and more density than you can use more than stabilizers. In fact, it is the best practice to use more than one stabilizer rather than a single heavy one. 

To find the perfect stabilizer that fits your needs, it is imperative to know these basic types of stabilizers. Try to play around with different types of stabilizers. There may be some glitches in your choices but once you start knowing the specs, it will be easier for you to select the right one.