Machine Embroidery Stabilizer Guide (FREE Printable Chart)

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Choosing an appropriate machine embroidery stabilizer is one of the most confusing aspects of machine embroidery.

When I started embroidering, I thought I could just put tearaway stabilizer on the back of all projects and have things turn out perfectly. While this admittedly worked for more than it probably should have, I soon learned picking the best embroidery stabilizer made a massive difference in my finished project.

And there are SO many embroidery stabilizers to choose from that it can be confusing to a beginner. Thus, I want to demystify the process of choosing a machine embroidery stabilizer in this guide!

I’ll start by describing the different types of stabilizers and their uses, and at the end of this post, I have a free machine embroidery chart printable for you to laminate as a cheat sheet.

Table of Contents

9. Sticky-backed stabilizers

This stabilizer has a paper cover on its adhesive side. This stabilizer could be cut away, tear away or wash away. This is primarily used when you cannot hoop the fabric – it could be a small one or just cannot be hooped like a shirt collar or will leave marks if hooped.

The stabilizer is hooped, the paper backing is removed, and then the fabric is kept on it for embroidery.

4. Sew-in Water-soluble backing /Wash away stabilizer

As the name suggests, this is soluble in water – this quality is at once a positive and negative thing. As you wash your item, the stabilizer washes away, leaving a potentially unstable fabric. But when you do not want any stabilizer to remain, this is the one to use as backing.

When you use this, the work looks neat. It is especially good with sheer fabrics like organza, open-weave fabrics, net, and tulle. It is used when making lace, buttonholes, edge work, shadow work, heirloom work, and applique.

After the work is done, the stabilizer is washed away, and the sheer fabric remains intact. The hot water soluble nonwoven backing material gets dissolved in plain hot water – you just have to keep it soaked in hot water for some time, as the brand prescribes.

It can also be used on top of the fabric on fabrics that cannot be properly marked like terrycloth. After the embroidery is done, the stabilizer is washed away. For this to work, first, draw the design onto the stabilizer. Keep the stabilizer on top of the fabric, fit the hoop and do the work. Afterward, soak the stabilizer in cold or warm water to remove it.

Types Of Machine Embroidery Stabilizers

There are four main types of embroidery stabilizers that I’ll discuss in detail. First, I’ll cover the qualities of each stabilizer and then which fabrics they pair well with.

The types of stabilizers are divided loosely into 4 different categories based on how they are removed from projects after stitching: tearaway, cut-away, wash-away, and heat-away. There are also toppers, which go on top of fabrics.

1. Tearaway Stabilizer

Tearaway stabilizer is the cheapest stabilizer and is formed from low-density short fibers. It comes in a variety of weights, most commonly light or mediumweight. High-quality tearaway stabilizer will tear equally in all directions.

Once you’ve stitched over this temporary stabilizer, as its name suggests, it tears off from the back of the fabric. When removing tearaway stabilizer, hold the embroidery design with one hand, and tear with the other hand so you don’t pull the stitches or distort the fabric.

Tearaway stabilizer is best for stable, woven (non-stretchy) fabrics such as cotton (including quilting fabric), linen, canvas, poplin, terry cloth, and broadcloth. This type of stabilizer does not provide much support, which is why the fabric needs to be strong to support the embroidery stitches.

Even on stable fabrics, it’s important to consider your design properties before grabbing your roll of tearaway, though.

Designs with empty spaces, running stitches instead of fill stitches, and generally less detail are perfect. However, detailed, dense designs with a high stitch count are better suited to cut-away instead of tearaway. (Learn more about cut-away vs. tearaway stabilizer!)

Tearaway is also not a great choice for knits or t-shirt fabrics. In addition to providing poor support for these fabrics, when you tear away the stabilizer, you risk stretching your fabric.

2. Cut-Away Stabilizer

Cut-away stabilizer is formed from longer, denser fibers and is stronger and more stable than tearaway stabilizer.

When finished embroidering, cut the stabilizer from around the design. The residual cut-away stabilizer material then permanently supports the item through continued washings and wearings.