I have a friend who is a beginner stitcher as I am, but she insist that you do not need to stabilize quilted fabric. I told her you do need it so the design doesn't shift. She doesn't want to waste time attaching stabilizer by ironing on or sticky stabilizer. I think she is just lazy and don't really care how the backside looks after stitching.

Can you answer this question for me. I sometime double when stitching lighter weight fabric such as knits and t-shirt fabric.

In order to acheive proper registration or definition - you want to appraoch a "tamboputrine skin" type tensioon in the hoop or around the area to be embroidered ( doi not over stretch your fabric - there is a happy medium here)

If your material shifts,moves , bounces in any way you will degrade definition

Therefore a stabilizer 

it must be stable in all directions

"Wet laid" non wovens are used as you want to avoid using multiple layers of backing.

In order to avoid this bulletproof vest like appearance strive to use only one layer of the correct weight stabilizer per embroidery application of a multidirectionally stable soft, drapable (or firm) dense "wet laid non woven

Please note that there ae a few exceptions to the single layer rule e,g; mesh w a tearaway

Stabilizers give the finished stitching a more profesional result. Much more pleasing to the eye. Personally I use it all the time, sometimes on top and bottom depending on what I am embroidering.l

http://www.lebowconsulting.com/stabilizer-glossary.htm

 

The correct weight stabilizer is determined by the stitch count and density of your design along w the weight and stretch of your material

What I think said in a long winded way. Was...you should always use stabilizer for a good design turnout! And you need to use the correct kind and weight depending on your design and fabric! Which sometimes is a matter of trial and error, someone can tell you what you "should" do but it doesn't always work out because they aren't there and are just going by what you tell them. So if possible always do a test run first!

Stabilise, stabilise, stabilise. , it is not wasting money, ot is money well spent. I will also use stabilser on the top if it required for the result I want to achieve...

Let your friend learn from trial and error. It may be that it is for financial reasons rather that laziness that she is 'cutting corners'. Each project should be thought out before you start, and if it is only a very light weight design on a firm fabric she may well manage fine - but if the design is stitch intensive, I hope she doesn't ruin the project for the sake of a little extra cash. 

What stabilizer do you request that I use when doing bookmarkers? I have a few Christian friends that would really enjoy them. And other friends that just love to read.

That would really depend on whether or not they are free standing lace. I would use a heavy water soluable stabilizer.

 

I too did not always stablize in the very begining, you can really see the difference. Another leason learned: DO NOT just stablize under the design, you must hoop the stablizer too because that is the whole point. 

I do NOT stablize when put a quilt together because it is so heavy to start with but I do anything that is on the top prior to quilting.