Search the Community

Hi friends! Today we’ll talk about water-soluble stabilizers by Madeira. I’ll try to show you what they can do and where you may apply them. Madeira has a line of water-soluble stabilizers named Avalon. Therefore, it is not correct to apply this name to all water-soluble products. When we say ‘Avalon’, we mean Madeira, and when we say ‘Madeira’, Avalon is implied. Madeira offers 4 items in that department. They have different properties and functions. Avalon Film A thin semitransparent water-soluble film. To the touch, it is like a plastic bag. This stabilizer can only be used as a topping. It is good for terry cloth, piled fabrics, knits, and fur. You put it on top of your fabric in order to prevent the sinking of the stitches. Avalon Ultra Dense water-soluble film. It looks very similar to the greenhouse covering material. Machine embroiderers use it as a main fabric when creating thin diaphanous laces, such as Battenberg lace or Vologda lace. You hoop the stabilizer, choose a design of a certain kind, and embroider. The dense film is also used for cutwork and Hardanger, where you cut out the holes and then apply the material. Avalon Plus A non-woven material that is also used as a main fabric for the embroidery. Works well for felting, cutwork, and Hardanger embroidery. If you’re making lace and want it to maintain its shape in future, Avalon Plus is the right choice. You hoop the stabilizer and embroider. After the embroidery is completed, the stabilizer is washed away. If you want my personal opinion, I like Avalon Plus more. To me, it seems more reliable, though while I was writing this article, I asked Irina Lisitza, our technology specialist, and she said that for thin laces, she prefers Avalon Ultra because it washes out better. Avalon Fix This one is similar in structure to Avalon Plus, but with an adhesive layer and protection paper cover. It is used as backing for embroidery on very thin and diaphanous fabrics, such as batiste, tulle netting, and organza. In other words, in all those cases where the stabilizer is hard to remove or where it makes the embroidery too dense. The making process is simple. You hoop the stabilizer, cut the protective cover, put your fabric on top of it and do the embroidery. This is all, in a nutshell. Happy embroidery!