Creative Uses for Fabric Stabilizer

Fabric stabilizer is a great product when it comes to machine embroidery, but it can have many other uses too! Watch as Ellen March explains some of her creative uses for fabric stabilizer, including applique and pattern templates. Whether it’s wash-away, tear-away or cut-away fabric stabilizer, applying it to the wrong side of the fabric when doing applique can make the process much easier by keeping the fabric flat. Keeping your fabric pucker free with a stabilizer is also great when sewing things like pockets! And, if you choose a cut-away or tear-away fabric stabilizer and leave it attached to the pocket, it can double as an interfacing or underlining.

Ellen demonstrates these uses for fabric stabilizer as well as explains how it can make sewing with knit fabric easier. Whether using your fabric stabilizer for these creative uses or simply machine embroidery, it’s best to choose the right one for the job. Here are some things to keep in mind when selecting a fabric stabilizer:

Cut-Away Fabric Stabilizers

Cut-away fabric stabilizers provide permanent support, are best used on knits and loosely woven fabrics, come in light to heavy weights, and are not removed from the fabric except for the excess cut away from around the edges after stitching.

Tear-Away Fabric Stabilizers

Tear-away fabric stabilizers provide temporary support, are best used on firmly woven fabrics, come in light to heavy weights in both adhesive and non-adhesive, and are torn away from the fabric after stitching.

Wash-Away Fabric Stabilizers

Wash-away fabric stabilizers, also called water-soluble stabilizers, provide temporary support, are best used on delicate fabrics or fabrics that are hard to mark, come in plastic film, paper sheets or spray on, and are completely removed from the fabric with water after stitching.