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Creating Beautiful Embroidery 165
7
Stabilizers (Backing)
Backing and topping serve to stabilize and support
the product being embroidered so the stitches can be
sewn with the least amount of interference or
instability. They serve as stabilizers for your
embroidery work. Without the proper type of
stabilizer, the fabric may move too much within the
embroidery frame causing poor alignment of the
embroidery. At times, topping will be required in
order to manage fabrics with a pile-like surface, such
as towels, corduroy and pique knit. There are many
types of backing and toppings with various weights
for the various fabrics that you may be sewing.
There are four types of stabilizers (backing) that can
be used in embroidery: cut-away, tear-away, water
soluble and self-adhesive. In these four types, various
weights, sizes and textures are available. When
selecting the stabilizer type for a particular fabric,
consider the design size in addition to the stitch
count and stitch type used in the design.
Finally, make sure that the stabilizer is not stretched.
Some backings may not stretch vertically or
horizontally but may stretch diagonally. DO NOT
USE THESE TYPES. This type of backing will stretch
during sewing and may cause the design to shift.
1. Polyester mesh cut-away stabilizer works
extremely well with light-colored fabrics since it
prevents a shadow from showing through on the
front after you have trimmed away the excess.
This type of backing is ideal whenever you need
stability with a light and soft touch in your
finished product, for example, with baby
garments.
2. Cut-away stabilizer is excellent for medium- to
heavyweight knits, however it can also be used
on woven material. It will hold a large number of
stitches and with two or three layers can hold a
tremendous amount of stitches. This type of
backing is also available in black for those who
want the inside of their garments to look as good
as the outside. Black stabilizer is very useful on
similarly colored garments of lightweight fabrics.
The black backing is less likely to show through
as compared to white backing.
3. Self-adhesive (peel-and-stick) backing is used on
those difficult-to-hoop fabrics. This backing is
applied (with sticky side up) to the underside of
the frame, enabling your fabric to “stick on” the
exposed surface in the sewing areas. When the
embroidery is finished, the fabric can be
removed, the excess backing can be disposed of
and the process repeated.
4. Tear-away stabilizer can be used on
mediumweight woven fabrics and sturdy fabrics
such as canvas, poplin and denim. This stabilizer
will hold many stitches especially when used in
two or more layers. This type of stabilizer is
made of a non-woven material that enables it to
easily be torn away from the edges of your
embroidery design when it is completed. This
stabilizer is also available in black.
5. Water-soluble stabilizer is useful when you need
to keep the nap or pile, for example, on towels,
from interfering with the placement of stitches.
Fabrics such as terry cloth, corduroy, velvet and
faux fur are examples of materials that have a
nap or pile that can actually penetrate
embroidery stitches as your machine sews. The
result is an unfinished and often sloppy
appearance when fibers of the fabric poke out
between the finished stitches of an embroidery
design. In these situations, water-soluble
stabilizer is used as a topping to hold the fibers of
the fabric flat so the stitches can be placed on top
neatly and accurately. Water-soluble stabilizer is
also used as a backing when stitching lace or
other motifs where the desired result is only the
stitching. This is accomplished with water-
soluble stabilizer, which can easily be pulled off
of the fabric after embroidering is completed and
any remnants can be easily be dissolved with
water. Water-soluble stabilizer is also used as a
backing on towels, where you often need some
stabilization, but any remnants of a formal
backing must not be visible in the finished
product.
Sapphire_chapt7.fm Page 165 Friday, November 18, 2005 12:10 PM