I use Solvy stabilizer for my machine embroidery most of the time. It is expensive but I usually purchase it at Jo-Ann's when they run a sale or use the 40% off coupon.
Has anyone found any other brand that is good and less expensive?
Thanks
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Embroidery Stabilizer Question
-
auntjana
- Posts: 17013
- Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2008 6:42 pm
Re: Embroidery Stabilizer Question
If I am doing things that does'nt need the Solvy Water soluble - I use the tear away by Sulky - mid weight. It is expensive too - but a trick I learned awhile ago is to do it the hoopless method - that is hoop the stabilizer and use temporary spray adhesive to hold the fabric on the hoop. On my machine I have a basting feature that can stitch a box around the area - so after I have hooped the stabilizer and then attached the fabric - I add this box of basting stitches and everything holds in place.
Now for the fun tricks - I baste the box on the stabilizer before I put on the fabric so that I have an accurate idea of where it is going to stitch. Next great trick - very carefully remove the stitching when it is done from the stabilizer - don't remove the stabilizer from the hoop. I run a shish-kabo stick on the outside edge of the embroidery stitching - this frees it from the stabilizer. Also remove the basting stitches before trying to remove the stitching. The stitching will tear away and you can then add an additional smaller piece to cover the hole and you are not wasting the entire hoop size of stabilizer each and every time you embroider. I attach the new piece of stabilizer with some spray adhesive and baste it down with the basting box. I usually can do 4 or five different embroderies before I need to change the main hoop piece. If you look over in the quilting photos section, I posted under Baby Bibs the pics of the bibs I did with this method, all four of them were done on a single hooping of stabilizer with the small pieces attached for each different one.
I did over 200 towels this way for my GF for retirement home gifts at Christmas last year. I was wasting stabilizer each time I changed names, until I learned this method from my friend at the sewing shop where I got my machine. I still do use the water soluble stabilizer when I embroider over terry cloth loops or on a light weight fabric.
Hope that this may help
Jana
Now for the fun tricks - I baste the box on the stabilizer before I put on the fabric so that I have an accurate idea of where it is going to stitch. Next great trick - very carefully remove the stitching when it is done from the stabilizer - don't remove the stabilizer from the hoop. I run a shish-kabo stick on the outside edge of the embroidery stitching - this frees it from the stabilizer. Also remove the basting stitches before trying to remove the stitching. The stitching will tear away and you can then add an additional smaller piece to cover the hole and you are not wasting the entire hoop size of stabilizer each and every time you embroider. I attach the new piece of stabilizer with some spray adhesive and baste it down with the basting box. I usually can do 4 or five different embroderies before I need to change the main hoop piece. If you look over in the quilting photos section, I posted under Baby Bibs the pics of the bibs I did with this method, all four of them were done on a single hooping of stabilizer with the small pieces attached for each different one.
I did over 200 towels this way for my GF for retirement home gifts at Christmas last year. I was wasting stabilizer each time I changed names, until I learned this method from my friend at the sewing shop where I got my machine. I still do use the water soluble stabilizer when I embroider over terry cloth loops or on a light weight fabric.
Hope that this may help
Jana