Backings / Stabilizers for Machine Embroidery - General Rules

Yo. Lets talk backings / stabilizers. The terms are pretty well interchangeable. Same thing, different words. Unless you are quilting, this stuff is going to make or break your project.

There is a wide range of types and manufacturers of machine embroidery backings. A large portion of them are manufactured in one factory. These tend to be the generic / cheaper backings. Most of the time these will do the job just fine in my opinion. I generally use these because most of my work is just discarded. One thing with these cheaper backings is that they're kind of uneven. By which I mean there's thicker and thinner parts. It's very visible. This does mean you'll need to use more to get the same amount of stability as a higher quality backing and they aren't really as stable as they should be. They're usually non-woven polyester or nylon fabrics that occasionally are made of or contain things like PVP and wood pulp. There are even liquid stabilizers out there such as Terial Magic.

Some backings are manufactured by other companies, often in Europe. They tend to be higher quality but with embroidery, you only get what you pay for. I've had companies try to sell it to me saying it's the same price per meter... well it is, but not per m2 if you get my drift.

These tend to be the generic, cheaper backings. Most of the time these will do the job just fine in my opinion.

So what exactly is this stuff, and what is it for?

Fabric is usually pretty thin and flimsy stuff. It's meant to be. So it needs something behind it to keep it from doing all sorts of wild things like puckering, pulling in, flagging, causing birds nests, broken threads and needles, being completely shredded, plus some more. In the case of cut away, it's also there to help hold the stitching in place and prevent distortion for the life of the item. This is where the "if you wear it don't tear it" rule comes in to play. Tear away does not stay in, and therefore does not support the stitches long term leaving the fabric susceptible to things like distortion with washing and stitches getting caught and ripped.

JLD's General Rules

With that said, lets start off with some general rules / tips that have served me well with both the Janome and Ricoma machines. These are just general rules based on my experience so it's up to you to use your own brain and education to form your own opinion and find what works best for you, your threads and your machine. If you're new to the world of embroidery, this is a good place to start.

Disregard the "if you wear it don't tear it" bullshit.

Only hoop 2 layers of backing max. Float the rest. Stiff, crispy tear away to support the SHAPE of the fabric; prevents distortion. Tear away goes under cut away. Soft, pliable cut away to support the STITCHES and the DENSITY of the embroidery. Cut away goes on top of tear away. Always use cut away for designs with light fills or running stitches. Finer, delicate fabrics; less is more. Heavier, more tightly woven fabrics; more is more. The weight of the backing needs to match the weight of the fabric and embroidery per m2. Not just the fabric, not just the embroidery, both.

1 Layer per 8k-10k Stitches for heavy backings. Too much causes the same issues as too little. Be real good friends with adhesive spray. If you're worried about your needles just get a bottle of eucalyptus oil to wipe them down. But seriously, how much are you using to create a build up that causes thread breaks in 6-8 hours? That's a lot. Wowsers. Disregard the "if you wear it don't tear it" bullshit.

Most importantly... You need as much as you need. That's just how it is.

You need as much as you need. That's just how it is.

Main Types of Backings

Now lets jump into the backings that JLD uses. I try to limit this as much as I can because home embroiderers don't want to keep a stock of 20 different backings in different weights. The vast majority of the time I use a heavy weight cut away, tear away, water soluble mesh. Less frequently I'll use a no show mesh, water soluble film, dimple tear away. I have used tear-cut away and hate it with a passion. OUCH. You don't wanna use that shit on a shirt. Most often two layers because a lot of designs have over the 8'000 stitches for one layer and business shirts I prefer to have the extra support. Plus, an extra layer can help the tiny letters come out cleaner.

Cut Away

Fabric Types: Unstable fabrics such as knits, loose weave, burlap, leather / marine vinyl, fleece, velvet Item Type / Use: Projects: Materials: Tips: