I feel like stabilizing your garment or the item to be embroidered with the correct stabilizer is the first step to perfect embroidery.  You want the item to remain beautiful through everyday wear and tear.  Especially after all your hard work and creativity!

   Below are just a few suggestions I have found to work for my customers and me over the years that I have taught classes.  With the new improvements to stabilizers, embroidery just gets more fun with each design!

General tips for successful embroidery….

• If there is time, launder or dry clean your item before you apply the embroidery.  “Prepping” a new garment will take care of any shrinkage that may occur.
• Use a good quality embroidery worthy needle.  But more importantly the size that is best for the weight of your garment.
• Use a well wound bobbin – not wrapped too tight and certainly not a messy loose bobbin.  Make sure your bobbin case is clean and the bobbin inserted correctly.  If the bobbin is inserted upside down, the machine will not stitch correctly.
• Make sure your embroidery thread is in a position to feed through the machine freely.  If the machine has to “pull” the thread from the spool it will create extra drag and distort the tension.  If using a metallic thread try to position the thread to feed vertically.  This creates less twist and you will have minimal thread breakage. 
• When hooping, try to achieve “tight as a drum” tension on the fabric or garment.  Using the correct stabilizer will aid with this.
• Finger-tighten the embroidery hoops tension screws.  It is not necessary to use a screwdriver and doing so usually damages or strips the threads on the screw. 

Recommended stabilizers and where to use them: 
*Note-The size of the design will affect the weight of stabilizer you should use.         

T-SHIRTS, GOLF/POLO KNIT SHIRTS AND SWEATSHIRTS:

   Designs 4x5 in size and smaller, generally around 10,000 stitches, will require one piece of Floriani’s No Show Nylon Mesh.  Although mesh is a cut away stabilizer, it doesn’t have the bulk of traditional cut-away’s.  Mesh is especially nice on thin, light colored garments because it will not shadow through.  It comes in three colors:  white, black and beige.  If you have trouble with hooping and tend to stretch the garment out of shape, use the fusible version of the mesh.  Fuse the mesh into place using a piece at least one inch larger than the embroidery frame.  Fusing eliminates stretch in the garment and eliminates the need for messy spray adhesives.Apply heat to the stabilizer after the embroidery design is complete and peel it back to the edge of the embroidery and trim.  Remember to use a low temperature (260^o) when pressing the mesh to the garment and when you remove it.

   If the design is larger than 4x5 add a piece of Floriani’s TearAway within the hoop along with the Nylon Mesh for extra stability.  If the garment is bulky it is appropriate to “float” the tearaway underneath the hoop on the bed of the machine.  After the embroidery is done the Tear Away will be completely eliminated leaving only the soft mesh against the skin.                  

   If the embroidery design you choose has an extremely high stitch count, use Floriani’s Medium 2oz Cut Away to support the stitches.  If the design is very heavy and/or the quality of the garment poor*, use Floriani’s Heavy 3oz Cut Away to support the stitches correctly.    *Some garments do not have the thread count to support embroidery so the heavier stabilizer will make up for the garments lack of stability.

*If the knit is ribbed, textured or is a piquet, use one layer of Floriani’s Water Soluble Topping to keep the stitches elevated.  The topping does not have to go in the hoop but should be pinned or “stuck” to the garment. 
 

Tip!  Apply moisture to each corner and the topping will stick to the garment or inside edge of the hoop!

*Remember, cut away stabilizer will stay with the garment throughout its embroidered life!  Cut Away’s have elongated fibers.  Embroidery designs will wrap around them creating a smooth, beautiful finished product even after laundering. 

DENIM, FLANNEL AND COTTON SHIRT WEIGHT:

   Although these types of fabrics are not considered “stretch”, they do tend to give and/or pull out of shape.  More often than not, we experience puckering when embroidering them.  We’ve all been taught to use “tear away” types of stabilizers on “stable” fabrics. The problem lies with the fact that these fabrics are never consistently stable.  Depending on the thread count of most cotton’s, a cut away could be a more reliable choice of stabilizer for these types of garments. 

   Floriani’s No Show Nylon Mesh creates a non-stretch foundation for the embroidery threads to connect to.  If you tend to stretch the garment out of shape when hooping choose the fusible version of Floriani’s Nylon Mesh.  Fuse a piece onto the garment at least one inch larger than the outer edge of the hoop size you are working with.  Use a low temperature setting on your iron (260^o).  Fusing the mesh directly to the garment will eliminate any distortion of the fabric and design.  If you choose not to fuse the mesh, simply hoop it with the garment.  Be sure to use a piece larger than the hoop size. To remove the fused mesh from around the embroidery, simply re-heat it with a low temperature iron and peel it back to the edge of the design.  Trim away the excess stabilizer.

   If your desired effect is to have no stabilizer left behind the design once it is complete you should use Floriani Heat N Sta® for these types of fabrics.  This remarkable 1.5 oz tearaway has a light fusible coating and easily removed from around the design.  Use Heat N Sta® by fusing a piece of the stabilizer to the back of the garment at least one inch larger than the embroidery frames outer edge.  Hoop the garment as normal.  By fusing the stabilizer directly to the garment, you have eliminated the stretch and will have a smooth embroidery design!  Unlike cutaway, Floriani Heat N Sta® can be removed from around the design by simply tearing it away.  This is especially nice on light colored cottons such as quilt squares. 

   Both methods of stabilizing mentioned above work well with most designs that are not larger than 4x5 (around 10,000 stitches).  If you use a larger or an unusually high stitch count design, use a piece of Floriani’s TearAway in addition to the fused stabilizer, in the hoop or by “floating” it in between the hoop and the bed of the machine.   

   Be sure to use Floriani’s Water Soluble Topping on the top of flannel or large fiber cottons (denim, poplin, etc.) to keep the textures of the fabric from showing through or distorting the embroidered design.  Tip!  The topping does not have to go in the hoop with the garment.  Simply dampen each corner and stick it down to the garment or the inside edges of the embroidery hoop.  This will ensure your embroidery foot doesn’t catch a wrinkle in the topping and cause a blooper!

TOWELS AND ROBES:

   Most towels and robes are considered “stable”.  However, you still need some type of stabilizer in order for the embroidery design’s stitches to relax within the garment.  Not using any stabilizer would result in the design “pushing” the threads of the garment or towel apart creating distortion and rippling.  Floriani’s Medium Firm TearAway is the perfect choice for these embroidery projects.  It tears away cleanly and easily but still gives you the support needed.  Simply place one piece of the tear-away in the hoop with the towel and stitch.  After the embroidery is complete, remove the stabilizer by placing one finger on the edge of the embroidery while tearing the excess away. 

   Because towels and robes are generally thick and loopy, be sure to use Floriani’s Water Soluble Topping on top of the towel during embroidery to keep any pieces of the towel from poking through the surface of the embroidery design.  The topping does not have to go in the hoop with the item being embroidered.  Simply dampen each corner of the piece of topping and stick it down to the fabric or to the inside edge of the hoop. 

   The very best method to achieving perfect embroidery is to hoop.  “Tight as a drum” like tension will result in the perfect stitch out.  However, when dealing with a heavy towel we sometimes have trouble getting the bulk into a hoop on some embroidery machines.  In this instance you should use Floriani’s Wet N Stick® stabilizer, which is a 1.5 oz tear away with a revolutionary water activated adhesive on it to hold a garment in place.  To use this method of hooping, simply place one piece of Wet N Stick®, shiny side up, into the hoop and make sure it is “tambourine skin” tight.  Apply a small amount of water to each corner and one drop in the center using a foam paint brush, envelope sealer, or sponge.  Do not spritz or mist the water.  Spread the water over the surface of the stabilizer with your finger and you will feel it becoming tacky almost instantly.  Immediately apply the towel or robe to the hooped stabilizer.  Allow a few seconds for the garment to adhere to the stabilizer so that it doesn’t shift during the embroidery process.  Complete the embroidery as normal.  After the design is done simply tear away the Wet N Stick®.  If you accidentally used too much water and find the towel wants to be “as one” with the stabilizer simply re-wet it at the glue line and peel the towel back as the “sticky” becomes activated again. On average, Floriani Wet N Stick® should support a design with no more than 10,000 stitches.  If the design has a higher stitch count, simply “float” a square of Floriani Medium or Heavy TearAway in between the hoop and the bed of the machine to support the additional stitches.    

LINEN, QUILT WEIGHT COTTON, BATISTE, NAPKINS & TEA TOWELS:

   Embroidery on delicate woven fabrics can be somewhat tricky.  The needle tends to perforate the fibers when stitching dense designs.  Using a cut away type stabilizer would give the stability needed but would shadow through the fabric and would be visible from the backside on a towel or napkin.  This is especially true when working with monograms or openwork type designs.  A stabilizer should be used that can be easily removed but will give the stability needed when embroidering on such delicate fibers.  The perfect solution is Floriani’s Stitch N Wash® (Water Soluble Tear Away).  This remarkable product is made of soluble and non-soluble fibers.  This means that what you need to make the embroidery smooth and stable will stay within the design and the remainder will go away after laundering.  To use Stitch N Wash®, simply hoop one piece along with the fabric and stitch out the design.  Remove as much of the stabilizer as possible by gently tearing it away.  After the item is washed all that remains are a few of the non-soluble fibers and perfectly stitched embroidery!  Remember that Stitch N Wash® is not a topping and should only be used on fabrics that can be laundered.

   If you have a tendency to stretch these types of fabrics out of shape during the process of hooping your better choice would be to use Floriani Heat N Sta®.  This remarkable 1.5 oz tearaway has a light fusible coating and is easily removed from around the design.  Use Heat N Sta® by fusing a piece of the stabilizer to the back of the fabric at least one inch larger than the embroidery frames outer edge.  Hoop the item as normal.  By fusing the stabilizer directly to the fabric, you have eliminated the stretch and will have a smooth embroidery design!  Floriani Heat N Sta® can be easily removed from around the design by simply tearing it away.  This is especially nice on light colored cottons such as quilt squares.

Tip!  Use a Micro-Tex needle when embroidering on delicate fabrics.  This needle is very sharp and extremely slender which means it won’t poke large holes in the fabric! 

SILK, SATIN, TAFFETA, DUPIONI, LAME’:

   The fibers of these delicate fabrics are not capable of handling embroidery alone and require extra care in keeping the fabric from shredding.  Your first step to beautiful embroidery on these types of fabrics is to fuse one layer of Floriani Dream Weave® to the back of the fabric.  Floriani Dream Weave® is a six way stretch, very sheer, fusible interfacing that gives the fabric body without bulk and preps it for heavy needle penetration.  Your next step is to stabilize.  The flexibility and softness of Floriani’s No Show Nylon Mesh makes it a perfect choice.  For fabrics that have stretch, use the fusible version.  Simply press the shiny, fusible side to the wrong side of the fabric using a low temperature setting (260^o) on your iron.  If the design you choose to embroider is larger than 8,000 stitches, place one piece of Floriani’s Medium TearAway in the hoop along with the mesh for extra stability.  The tear away will be removed from around the design once it is stitched leaving the soft mesh only.   It is also appropriate to “float” the tearaway between the hoop and bed of the machine if using Floriani Fusible No Show Mesh. 

   The very best method in achieving perfect embroidery is to hoop. “Tight as a drum” like tension will result in the perfect stitch out.  However, when dealing with some silks and satins you can get “hoop burn”.  Hoop burn is created from the inner and outer hoops rubbing a ring into the fabric that won’t wash out.  In this instance you should use Floriani’s Wet N Stick® stabilizer, which is a 1.5 oz tear away with a revolutionary, water activated adhesive on it to hold a garment in place.  To use this method of hooping, simply place one piece of Wet N Stick®, shiny side up, into the hoop and make sure it is “tambourine skin” tight.  Apply a small amount of water to each corner and one drop in the center using a foam paint brush, envelope sealer, or sponge.  Do not spritz or mist the water.  Spread the water over the surface of the stabilizer with your finger and you will feel it becoming tacky almost instantly.  Immediately apply the item to be embroidered to the hooped stabilizer.  Allow a few seconds for the item to adhere to the stabilizer so that it doesn’t shift during the embroidery process.  Complete the embroidery as normal.  After the design is done simply tear away the Wet N Stick®.  If you accidentally used too much water and find the item wants to be “as one” with the stabilizer simply re-wet it at the glue line and peel the item back as the “sticky” becomes activated again.  If the design is larger than 10,000 stitches, the same rule applies to using Wet N Stick® as with the No Show Mesh.  “Float” a piece of Medium or Heavy Tearaway between the hoop and the bed of the machine to support the additional stitches.  *It is still recommended to fuse the Dream Weave® and/or the nylon mesh onto to back of the silk or satin even if using the “stick down” method of hooping.  This ensures that the needle will not shred the fibers of the delicate fabric.

Tip! Use a Micro-Tex needle when embroidering on delicate fabrics.  This needle is very sharp and extremely slender which means it won’t poke large holes in the fabric! 

SPANDEX OR LYCRA (Bathing Suit/Dance Costume):

   This fabric needs to maintain its stretchiness after it is embroidered however; the stretch needs to be kept under control while you are actually stitching on the fabric.  Wet N Stick® is the recommended stabilizer for this project.  To use Wet N Stick®, simply hoop one piece making sure to keep the adhesive side up.  Place a few dots of water randomly on the stabilizer and spread it evenly over the surface with your finger or a small foam paint- brush.  You should feel the adhesive becoming tacky almost immediately.  Smooth the garment into place taking care not to stretch it out of shape. On average, Floriani Wet N Stick® should support a design with no more than 10,000 stitches.  If the design has a higher stitch count, simply “float” a square of Floriani Medium or Heavy TearAway in between the hoop and the bed of the machine to support the additional stitches.  If the design is extremely dense, it is recommended to fuse one layer of Floriani Dream Weave® to the back of the fabric to keep the needle from shredding or damaging fibers.  Because Dream Weave® is a six way stretch interfacing it is a perfect choice for giving additional support to stretch fabrics such as lyra and spandex.        

   Be sure to use Floriani Water Soluble Topping on the top of this fabric in order to keep the stitches from sinking down into the stretchy fibers. Simply dampen each corner of the piece of topping and stick it down to the fabric or to the inside edge of the hoop. Complete the embroidery.  Gently remove the garment from the stabilizer.  If you accidentally used too much water and the adhesive is holding on to the garment simply moisten it at the glue line and it will reactivate the adhesive.  The garment should easily tear away from the stabilizer. 
 

Tip! Use a Stretch or Ball-Point needle when embroidery on this weight of fabric.

“HARD TO HOOP” ITEMS SUCH AS SHIRT COLLARS, CUFFS, NAPKIN EDGES, SOCKS, TOTE BAGS, POCKET TOPS, TIES, ETC.

  Floriani Wet N Stick® is the recommended stabilizer for theses projects.  To use Wet N Stick®, simply hoop one piece making sure to keep the adhesive side up.  Place a few dots of water randomly on the stabilizer and spread it evenly over the surface with your finger or a small foam paint- brush.  You should feel the adhesive becoming tacky almost immediately.  Smooth the item/garment into place taking care not to stretch it out of shape.  On average, Floriani Wet N Stick® should support a design with no more than 10,000 stitches.  If the design has a higher stitch count, simply “float” a square of Floriani Medium or Heavy TearAway in between the hoop and the bed of the machine to support the additional stitches.  Complete the embroidery.  Gently remove the garment from the stabilizer.  If you accidentally used too much water and the adhesive is holding on to the garment simply moisten it at the glue line and it will reactivate the adhesive.  The garment should easily tear away from the stabilizer.

REVERSIBLE OR “SEE THROUGH”, SHEER FABRICS SUCH AS SILK AND ORGANDY:

  There are times when absolutely no stabilizer can be left behind our embroidery designs and using a tearaway would mean hours of “picking” out remnants. Imagine a silk scarf with an open work heirloom design or monogram. Floriani Wet N Gone Fusible® is the perfect choice for this type of embroidery project.  To use Wet N Gone Fusible®, simply fuse a piece at least one inch larger than the outer edge of your embroidery frame to the back of the fabric.  Be sure to use a low temperature setting on your iron and a press cloth.  Because the stabilizer is fused it will prevent the fabric from shifting during the hooping and embroidery process.  After the design is complete, cut away as much of the Wet N Gone® as possible and rinse the rest away.