Attaching Iron-on Stabilizers (Backing) to the Fabric

CAUTION

Always use a stabilizer material for embroidery when embroidering on stretch fabrics, lightweight fabrics, fabrics with a coarse weave, or fabrics which cause pattern shrinkage. Otherwise, the needle may break and cause injury.

1. Iron the iron-on stabilizer material to the wrong side of the fabric.

   • Use a piece of stabilizer which is larger than the embroidery frame being used.
   
   1. Fusible side of stabilizer
   2. Fabric (wrong side)
   3. Size of the embroidery frame
   • When embroidering small pieces of fabric that cannot be hooped in an embroidery frame, use stabilizer material as a base. After lightly ironing the fabric to the stabilizer material, hoop it in the embroidery frame. If stabilizer material cannot be ironed onto the fabric, attach it with a basting stitch. After completing the embroidery, remove the stabilizer material carefully.
     1. Fabric
     2. Stabilizer
     3. Basting
   • When embroidering on thin fabrics such as organdy or lawn, or on napped fabrics such as towel or corduroy, use water soluble stabilizer (sold separately) for best results. The water soluble stabilizer material will dissolve completely in water, giving the project a more attractive finish.