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).
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The fabric
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The stabilizer
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Acrylic fabric
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Cut-away
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Acetate fabric
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Cut-away
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Velvet
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Tear-away adhesive stabilizer (Filmoplast) or heat-away stabilizer (Thermogaze)
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Corduroy
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Tear-away for the thick fabrics and cut-away for the thin ones
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Vynil
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Tear-away
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Felt
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Cut-away
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Gabardine
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Cut-away
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Gauzy fabric
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Dense water soluble for the backing and thin water soluble for the topping
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Jersey
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Cut-away
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Denim
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Tear-away or no stabilizer
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Chamois
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Cut-away for the thin fabrics and tear-away for thick ones
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Fake fur
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Tear-away for the backing and water-soluble film for the topping
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Damask
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Cut-away
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Leather
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Cut-away for the thin fabrics and tear-away for thick ones
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Lycra
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Spunbond
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Linen
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Cut-away with temporary spray adhesive
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Terry cloth
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Cut-away or tear-away for the backing and water-soluble film for the topping
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Muslin
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Cut-away with temporary spray adhesive
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Nylon
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Tear-away adhesive (Filmoplast), heat-away (Thermogaze) or high-quality tear-away stabilizer
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Voluminous knitwear
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Cut-away with temporary spray adhesive
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Organdy
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Cut-away adhesive
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Organza
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Water soluble or high-quality tear-away
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Sailcloth
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Cut-away for the thin fabrics and tear-away for thick ones
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Brocade
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Tear-away
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Percale
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Cut-away
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Pique
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Cut-away for the backing and water-soluble film for the topping
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Velour
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Tear-away adhesive (Filmoplast)
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Poplin
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Tear-away or cut-away, depending on the fabric thickness
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Sateen
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Cut-away
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Sateen
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Cut-away with temporary spray adhesive or tear-away adhesive (Filmoplast)
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Spandex
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Cut-away with temporary spray adhesive or tear-away adhesive (Filmoplast), spunbond
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Woolen cloth
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Cut-away
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Tweed
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Cut-away
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Knitwear (T-shirts)
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Cut-away, tear-away or spunbond, depending on the quality of knitted fabric
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Flannel
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Cut-away
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Fleece
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Cut-away
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Canvas
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Tear-away or no stabilizer
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Silk
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Tear-away
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Chiffon
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Tear-away
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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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