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Matching the fabric and the stabilizer

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Original text by Marina Belova 

Choosing a right stabilizer for a particular fabric is important for every embroiderer. If you want to know what a stabilizer is, what kinds of stabilizers are there and where they can be used, along with the other stuff, click here

Wrong stabilizer plays has a great impact on the embroidery, for it is one of the reasons for various technical defects, which nobody wants. 

Below are the recommendations on matching a particular type of fabric with a particular kind of stabilizer, which I found in various sources. You always need to have some kind of guide, if only a short one, which will give you a hint to where you stand and where to go from there. And then, to find a right kind of stabilizer for your type of fabric. 

Obviously, one should choose a stabilizer according to the fabric qualities, such as: thickness, density, quality, type and so on. The basic rule goes as follows: the more tightly-woven and stable the fabric is, the lighter stabilizer it needs. And vice versa. In case you've found a right match you'll need only 1 layer of stabilizer (this is true in 99,9% of all cases). 

The fabric

 

The stabilizer

 

Acrylic fabric

 

Cut-away

 

Acetate fabric

 

Cut-away

 

Velvet

 

Tear-away adhesive stabilizer (Filmoplast) or heat-away stabilizer (Thermogaze)

 

Corduroy

 

Tear-away for the thick fabrics and cut-away for the thin ones

 

Vynil

 

Tear-away

 

Felt

 

Cut-away

 

Gabardine

 

Cut-away

 

Gauzy fabric

 

Dense water soluble for the backing and thin water soluble for the topping

 

Jersey

 

Cut-away

 

Denim

 

Tear-away or no stabilizer

 

Chamois

 

Cut-away for the thin fabrics and tear-away for thick ones

 

Fake fur

 

Tear-away for the backing and water-soluble film for the topping

 

Damask

 

Cut-away

 

Leather

 

Cut-away for the thin fabrics and tear-away for thick ones

 

Lycra

 

Spunbond

 

Linen

 

Cut-away with temporary spray adhesive

 

Terry cloth

 

Cut-away or tear-away for the backing and water-soluble film for the topping

 

Muslin

 

Cut-away with temporary spray adhesive

 

Nylon

 

Tear-away adhesive (Filmoplast), heat-away (Thermogaze) or high-quality tear-away stabilizer

 

Voluminous knitwear

 

Cut-away with temporary spray adhesive

 

Organdy

 

Cut-away adhesive

 

Organza

 

Water soluble or high-quality tear-away

 

Sailcloth

 

Cut-away for the thin fabrics and tear-away for thick ones

 

Brocade

 

Tear-away

 

Percale

 

Cut-away

 

Pique

 

Cut-away for the backing and water-soluble film for the topping

 

Velour

 

Tear-away adhesive (Filmoplast)

 

Poplin

 

Tear-away or cut-away, depending on the fabric thickness

 

Sateen

 

Cut-away

 

Sateen

 

Cut-away with temporary spray adhesive or tear-away adhesive (Filmoplast)

 

Spandex

 

Cut-away with temporary spray adhesive or tear-away adhesive (Filmoplast), spunbond

 

Woolen cloth

 

Cut-away

 

Tweed

 

Cut-away

 

Knitwear (T-shirts)

 

Cut-away, tear-away or spunbond, depending on the quality of knitted fabric

 

Flannel

 

Cut-away

 

Fleece

 

Cut-away

 

Canvas

 

Tear-away or no stabilizer

 

Silk

 

Tear-away

 

Chiffon

 

Tear-away

 


I want to remind everyone that the aforementioned matches are the basic recommendations and not the rules

What is also interesting is that a stabilizer is often replaced with other, cheaper, materials for cost reasons — the means the manufacturers strictly advise against (naturally). For example, you may see a stabilizer replaced with the printing paper, the embroidery spunbond with the building one, and water-soluble film with polyethylene. There is a lot of information about it on the Web. 

I decided to check if water soluble film replacement was at all possible. You can read about this experiment here

Edited by Irina

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