All about Stabilizers and how best to use them.  Stabilizers are designed to support, and sometimes replace, fabric under the stress of dense and multi-directional machine stitching.  They can be applied in many ways, but are commonly used with an embroidery hoop to hold fabric as flat and inflexibly as possible.

Sticky-Back
Best for any fabric that cannot be hooped easily (especially quilts!) like shirt cuffs or collars, socks, bags, etc.  You stick it to the fabric on one side, while the other is covered by protective sheeting.  You can either put the stabilizer in your hoop with the sticky side up and place your fabric on top or place your fabric on the stabilizer and then hoop it.

Tear-away
Best used for light to medium weight woven fabrics like cotton, canvas, silks, sheers or satins, and corduroys and any embroidery project that is "in-the-hoop".  Considered a soft stabilizer for lightweight fabrics but it does come in different thicknesses.  Consider it temporary support that is faster and easier to use, just realize each needle hole lowers the stability.  Choose a bi- or multi-directional tear-away for the easiest removal.  If you are doing a lot of stitching (large design) it is probably best that you use two layers of tear-away, it will help with stabilization, but when you are done, only tear one layer at a time away.  If you have little bits of stabilizer left behind after tearing, either use tweezers to pull them out or, if more difficult to remove, a permanent felt pen the same color as your stitch thread to colour over them.

Cut-away
Best used for stretchy and more unstable fabrics like knits, stretch denim, velvet, corduroy, fleece or towelling.  This is more of a medium weight stabilizer as it is consider a more permanent support that should last through wearing and laundering.  Again, if you are doing a larger design or using a lot of stitching, it is probably best to use two layers of cut-away, but it is a better choice for larger designs or ones with more stitches.  Cut away any excess stabilizer once you are done.  This type is also great for any project to be framed - because you don't see the back!

Iron-On
Most commonly used because it is good for most fabrics, especially lightweight ones, but can be used for medium- to heavy-weight knits as well.  It's not good for designs with tightly packed rows of stitches though because it would make it difficult to remove.  It is a paper-based stabilizer with a waxy film that irons on the back of your fabric.  You can use iron-on stabilizer with tear-away if you want more stabilization.   It's good for getting proper hooping.  You should tear or peel off any excess once you are done.  If you avoid ones with a lot of glue, you will have less problems stitching because it will not gummy up your needle.

Water-Soluable
Best for any free standing lacework design or for top ups on towelling, corduroys, velvets or knits because it can be used on top or underneath fabrics and any excess should wash away in water.  It is great for use on top of towelling to ensure the fabric nap does not poke through your embroidery designs and also for more intricate designs where it might be more difficult to tear or cut away the stabilizer.  Note:  store in zipper-lock-type baggies as this type tends to stiffen with continued exposure to the air.

There are a few types available.  The most common being a plastic-like film and soluble paper.  Both can be used with hoops.  There are also adhesive-backed and heavier films which are great for embroidering lace and Richelieu, as well as cutwork and designs.  Also there is a type of brush-on liquid as well as a spray-on that makes the fabric firmer than starch without the build up or scorch.  These last two aren't really stabilizers, but you can use them along with tear-away for things like appliqué projects.

Heat Removable
Best for projects that are very delicate or can't be washed.  You can only use this on fabrics that will not burn, as heat removes it.  Good for use on off the edge stitching techniques.  You should really only use this type when your fabric is too delicate for tear-away, too sheer for cut-away, is not washable, or when you're working with special techniques like making lace at an edge.  Note:  store in zipper-lock-type baggies as this type tends to stiffen with continued exposure to the air.

There are two types of heat removeable stabilizer.  Woven or a plastic-like film.  The woven turns brown and flakes when heated with an iron, and the flakes can be gently brushed away. But be careful because the chemical it uses to do this is water-soluble, so a steam iron wouldn't be appropriate.

The plastic-like film heats and melts.  It is used more for topping so stitches don't get lost in dense nap or pile.  It stays under the stitching to support it during washings.  Any excess around the stitches disappears when you use a hot dry iron.  Just touch the surface, don't slide the iron across the film.  Then you can just wipe away any beads on the iron with a paper towel or fabric scrap.

A few last tips.

A lot of stabilizers look very similar.  If you remove the original packaging and label information, it's in your best interest to put some kind of note labelling its type to ease future confusion.

You can use more than one type of stabilizer in the same project in some cases.  It can simplify a more complex project where you might use wing-needle stitching on a soft fabric with stabilizer before hooping the fabric with a sewn-in tear-away from a digitized design.

If you do a lot of embroidery, sometimes it is good to keep samples on different types you've done to make it easier to figure out what type to use for future projects.

Some fabrics just aren't good for embroidery, so no stabilizer will help that.

As long as your fabric doesn't show holes, sometimes you can also use pins or baste stitches to hold the stabilizer in place on the fabric for a better result.

Wondering if you should use tear-away or cut-away?  The general practice is that if your fabric stretches, use cut-away.  If not, then tear-away.

For more great ideas....contact the creative crew at Ultimate Sewing Centre!

Past tips:

Determining Fabric Type
Removing Marking Stains
Dye Magnet
Make Chenille
Stabilizers