Stabilizers, or backing, is an essential part to your machine embroidery project. It is used to support the fabric during the stitching process in order to keep the fabric from slipping or stretching.
Hiding in the back of your fabric, it’s the unsung heroes of machine embroidery and the difference between a professional or poorly made item.
Laugh, but it’s as important as choosing the right bra. You can wear the most beautiful blouse, but without the correct under garment, it just won’t fit the way you want. If embroidery thread is the blouse, backing are the under garments of the embroidery world. And as with bra’s, there are different kinds of stabilizers for different purposes.
The embroidery stabilizer you select, will directly affect your end result, so it is vital to select the right backing and placing it correctly.
Fabric stability, fabric density and stitch density are the most important factors when selecting the correct stabilizer for your item.
Wilcom made an excellent infographic about stabilizers. Creative Notions have a wide variety of embroidery stabilizers (per meter or roll) available for purchase online.
