Embroidery Stabilizer FAQ

Answers to all your frequently asked questions about embroidery stabilizers. What are they, what to use and when, and are their cheap alternatives to buying embroidery backings.

• Do You Need a Stabilizer for Embroidery?
  Embroidery stabilizers, also referred to as backing, are the foundation of machine embroidery and create the stability you need to machine embroider on anything, especially stretchy knits and polyester performance shirts. While there are some very stiff fabrics that may not require an embroidery backing, using the correct stabilizer while embroidery will usually result in the best looking embroidered garment. 
  
• How Do I Choose the Best Stabilizer for Embroidery?
  Choosing the correct backing for machine embroidery is very important. In general terms you want to use a Cut Away stabilizer on stretchy fabrics like t-shirts and other knits. You want to use a Tear Away stabilizer on more stable woven fabrics or on items where you will see the underside, like towels.
• What's the Difference Between Interfacing and Stabilizers?
  Interfacings and stabilizers, while both nonwoven fabrics, have two different uses. Interfacing is typically used between two layers of fabric in apparel to provide more body. Stabilizers are stronger than interfacing, can hold a lot of stitches, and are used to provide support for machine embroidery.
  
• How do you Seal the Back of Embroidery?
  There are 3 different ways to seal the back of embroidery. Cover-A-Stitch™ is a soft nonwoven fusible that protects the skin from scratchy stitches. Thermoseal is a heat-activated permanent waterproofing film that maintains the integrity of waterproof or water-repellent fabrics when you embroider or sew on them. Fuse-n-Bond™ is a permanent double-sided iron on fusible sealing film that s excellent for attaching applique, lettering, embroideries, patches, and emblems onto fabric without sewing.
• Can I use Dryer Sheets Instead of Embroidery Stabilizer?
  Embroidery Stabilizer is manufactured to provide optimal support when embroidering on today home and commercial machines. Using the improper products for embroidery can possible damage your machine and produce poor results. Buy high quality stabilizer from a supplier like AllStitch Embroidery Supplies will provide you with an economical and quality product.
• How do I Choose a Stabilizer for my Embroidery Machine?
  Choosing stabilizer for embroidery is not dependent on what embroidery machine you have, but what you are embroidering on. All embroidery machines, both multi-needle commercial and single needle home machines, require the correct high quality stabilizer to produce quality embroidery. Our guide to choosing the correct embroidery backings will offer some more insight.
• What is Embroidery Stabilizer made of?
  Cut and tear away embroidery stabilizers are usually a nonwoven fabric that can be made from natural or artificial fibers. Water soluble stabilizers can be made from starches or PVAs that dissolve in water.
• What are the Types of Stabilizer?
  There are three main types of embroidery stabilizer: Cut Away, Tear Away, and Water Soluble. Each type of embroidery stabilizer is best suited to embroidery of specific types of fabric and garments. Our blog post: Embroidery Stabilizer Guide To Choosing The Correct Backings, goes into this topic in more detail.