I am always seeking ways to make me & possibly your embroidery work as professional as possible. As you have learned or are learning all the tips & tricks, we know our outcome follows rules, some chiseled in granite! And some of which are meant to be broken.
You know that hot dogs come in packages of 10 and buns in packs of 8. Whoever was responsible for weights/measures decided to make an April Fool's Day year-round.
Stabilizers have a similar issue. There are recommendations which are nearly all shown with the type of fabric. Sorry grasshopper, but there are more issues.
- For instance, if your cotton has a very small amount of 'give,' then the stabilizer suggestion from an "expert" goes out the window.
- If your cotton is very light weight, (see above).
- If your cotton is very heavy weight, (see above).
- Rayon, nylon, linen, wool, searsucker, velvet, one/two way stretch, all sorts of blends - (see above)
What's an embroidered to do?? Well, there are a few ways to determine what stabilizers go with what fabrics:
- One is to use simple fabrics, no specialty items, stretch, sparkle, blends, etc. You will likely think of other varieties as well.
- Check the Internet for suggestions. Be prepared to get lots of differing ideas. Even 'experts' will not agree!
- Do a "Discovery sew." That is my term for doing a sewout of your design in the same or similar fabric. Use the same threads, as they vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Check for puckers, the tension of your hoop, and any surprise that might be in the project. If you are not doing a discovery sew, you are not getting training that can often rattle your back teeth. Learning knows no bounds.
- Look at the info in your machines' Guide Book. This manufacturer wants you to have excellent results.
- Trial and Error is a popular method; see "Discovery Sew" above.
- Consider the density of your design. "fields" like sky or grass needs more support than simple designs.
- When all else fails & you see small puckers on your design, you can 'float' a piece of stabilizer under your project. It is not foolproof & can require two or even more pieces to correct.
- A favorite of mine is going to a store and checking out anything embroidered. Check out the back and how the pros handled it! You will often find that they have used heavy cutaway stabilizers.
Here is an example of a name-brand machine and a project it displays:
As an embroidered, I am uncertain why they would put this on the Internet. Would you wear that? Additionally, they indicated that they use the following stabilizer:
Cut Away Soft (Soft?)
• Medium to heavy stitch count designs. (I don't know what this means)
• Provides a non-stretch, supportive base for embroidery. (Appears to be a little too light)
• Dense enough for single layer application. (Still not something as a good guide)
IMHO that one is very under-stabilized.
Then the fabric weight makes a difference. The general rule for stabilizers is to balance lightweight fabric with heavy-duty stabilizers. Or switch from tear away to cutaway.
For heavier fabrics, a lighter stabilizer may work very well. When you make a discovery sew, you will know what to use. Additionally, I recommend that you keep your sample for future reference. Mark the sample with the appropriate information.
** Instructions for this project.
For this design, I would use two layers of Badgemasters or four layers of the wash-aways available anywhere. Personally, the difference between Badgemaster and the water-solubles is night and day.
I purposely under-stabilized this one.
This one has 2 sheets of cutaway.