If wasting stabilizer bothers you, there are a few ways to save on the amount of stabilizer used when hooping. Do not substitute household items (coffee filters, dryer sheets, wax paper, etc.) for stabilizer, as these products were not made to withstand the washing and drying that garments go through. Instead, use one of the methods below to reduce your cost and save on the amount of stabilizer used.
1) Window Method – This method is useful when doing multiple stitch outs of the same design. Hoop a section of heavy duty stabilizer. Cut out a ‘window’ that is larger than the design. Use paper medical tape to attach a piece of stabilizer over the hole or ‘window.’ (See photo.) With each new design, replace the stabilizer covering the ‘window’ instead of hooping another large piece of stabilizer.
2) Buy stabilizer on the roll. Do not cut the stabilizer when hooping. After hooping the stabilizer, let the roll of stabilizer hang off to the side or behind the embroidery machine. Make sure there is enough slack in the stabilizer so that it does not restrict hoop movement during stitching. This saves about 1/3 of the stabilizer you would normally use with cut pieces.
3) Piece together stabilizer. With a cut away or a tear away stabilizer, you can stitch the pieces together, tape them together, or glue them together using a school glue stick. Do not have the stabilizer ‘seam’ fall inside your stitching area, as you may create a ridge in the final design where the pieces overlap. With a wash away stabilizer, the stabilizer can be lightly dampened, stuck together, and left to dry, thus creating a larger piece of wash away stabilizer.
4) When stitching tightly woven fabrics, the fabric can be hooped and a small piece of stabilizer slightly larger than the design slipped under the stitching area. This method should not be used on knit fabrics or loosely woven fabrics.
5) Buy stabilizer on larger rolls. Larger rolls cost less per square foot and will reduce stabilizer costs overall.
No matter which method you use, don’t skimp on using the appropriate product for stabilization. Stabilizers are made to support the stitches during embroidery and/or afterward. If you would like to learn more about different types of stabilizers, read our SSEW’s Guide to Stabilizer Types.