The stabilizer display cabinet at Sally Cheney's Superstore.

          No matter which embroidery machine you own, if you use the wrong STABILIZER, you likely won't be pleased with the results. We understand the importance of stabilizer in your embroidery, and carry a full line of quality products to help you produce professional results.

         There are many types and weights of stabilizer, but those generally fall into 4 broad categories – Cut Away, Tear Away, Wet Away, and Heat Away. All projects require stabilizer under the material; others, though, need it on top as well. Here are some guidelines to help you select a stabilizer.

          Cut Away Stabilizer provides reliable, permanent support. It is the most frequently used stabilizer and generally eliminates pulled or sagging stitches. It offers the best stretch resistance – many people say that if the fabric stretches, use cut away stabilizer. Use it for knits, loose weave fabrics, synthetics, and other thin fabrics. It provides extra body and stability for your embroidery. Use it, too, for high stitch count designs. It's also ideal for designs when they will come in contact with human skin. It comes in white, beige and black colors. It also comes in a poly mesh ideal for knits, especially when you don't want the stabilizer to show through the fabric.


We have all the stabilizers you may need at Sally Cheney's Superstore.

          Tear Away Stabilizer provides temporary support. Use it when a design doesn't require as much support. It works well on light weight cotton, silks, canvas, & natural-fiber fabrics. It's versatile, too, in that you can use multiple layers of it if circumstances require it. Tear Away is the easiest stabilizer to remove, though you have to take care not to distort stitches when you tear it off, especially if you used more than one layer.

          Wet Away Stabilizer provides temporary support for projects such as free-standing lace, heirloom work, patches, badges, and free-motion stitching. It works well on top of the towels or fleece to keep the nap from showing through the embroidery design. Note that "water soluble" stabilizer goes on top, while "wash away" stabilizer goes underneath the fabric. You remove both by wetting them.


Margaret Roland & Charlie Plympton at one of our classes.

          Heat Away Stabilizer works pretty much like Wet Away, except that it's removed with heat instead of water. Use it when wetting or tearing could distort the design's stitches or harm the fabric. It's ideal for designs not dense enough for Tear Away. Use a dry non-teflon iron to heat it, since steam can transfer the chemical in the stabilizer to the fabric.

          We also offer Film-o-plast, essentially a covered sticky paper. You hoop only the stabilizer, then score the top cover & peel it off. You then put your material on the exposed sticky paper. This approach works well when you can't hoop the fabric. It is not as stable, & often needs a basting stitch for best results.

          We likewise have the specialty items, such as spray on & iron on products. No matter what your stabilizer needs, you can find it at Sally Cheney's Superstore. We are happy to help you select just what you need for your project. Hope to see you soon!