How To Use Wash-away Stabilizer
If you have not used the water-soluble or the wash away stabilizer before, then you have docked on the right page. Do you know what are the wash-away stabilizers? Wash away stabilizers are the one that is suitable for all fabric types and knitted materials like fuzzy or sweaters, requires them often.
What’s incredible is that when the wash-away stabilizers are kept in water, they disappear or dissolve. They are often used in conjunction with other insoluble fabrics, but when it is used single-handedly, it leaves behind the embroidery stitching.
Once you attain a practice of mastery with your material, you will get endless possibilities.
In this article, you will get to know ways on how to use the wash-away stabilizers. So, create a beautiful embroidery using wash-away stabilizers.
How To Use The Wash-away Stabilizer
For any particular needlework, you are creating the machine embroidery. If you have never tried it before, give it the go with this wash-away stabilizer after a better understanding of how to use it.
Before using the wash-away stabilizer, you need to set the machine appropriately. It includes the darning foot option, with tension ranging between 0 to 1, 0 stitch length, 0 stitch width, and out-of-acting feed dogs functionality. These are the essential settings that allow your fabric to get the perfect stitching finish.
With these settings, set your machine accordingly and place the water-soluble fabric in the hoop, ensuring the material lays flat over the embroidery plate. It would be best if you start stitching over that stabilizer, and you are ready to go.
Let’s now have a detailed discussion on how to use the wash-away stabilizer. With these different steps, you will be mastered in embroidering.
Steps To Use The Wash-away Stabilizers
Step 1 – Keep the fabric properly over the plate.
First, you need to ensure that the fabric you are using is appropriately tied to the throat of your embroidery plate. You can even double it up so that there occur two layers of the material, creating a sturdier and firmer fabric that would not tear at all.
Step 2 – Trace the selected image over the fabric.
Secondly, you need to trace the selected image over your fabric. You can also use the standard pencil or the felt pens for this work. The wash-away stabilizers fit perfectly to the standard printed image, and you can easily print the embroidery design over it directly from your printer. You can also trace the design or freehand the design.
If you are using a pen, try to use it of a similar color as per your thread, as if it leaves any traces and showcases/bleeds while your washing stage it won’t look bad.
Also, there is no worry if you couldn’t trace the image properly to the fabric. Just choose the outlining pen or pencil of the same color as the thread as it could be significant after completion, or you can go for the contrast color option.
Step 3 – Start needling the thread zigzag between the traces to create a web.
The next step is to needle the thread by following the outline, creating a web-like structure to the fabric. This is somehow the easy step and helps make the stitches firmer or sturdier, providing them with the base to grip.
You need not worry about it being intact, as all you need to do is stick the stabilizer to the fabric and begin with your stitching. It is easier to work over delicate fabrics with extra stability, allowing you to design with dense embroidery patterns. Just ensure that the stitches adjoin the outlines or traced edges appropriately.
Step 4 – Build the layers of stitching to decorate
Now, after the above step, you will get your embroidery base done. You now need to start building the stitching layer forming a decoration. Vary the direction regularly, and if the stitches follow a single path, they may fall apart after you wash off the fabric. At this moment, you can not stitch the fabric again or be over frivolous with the stitching pattern you follow. Holding the work to light, you may see some areas that require extra sewing. But don’t do that.
Step 5 – Decorate the base with other threads.
Once done with the minimal base stitching, start decorating the embroidery with other color threads. You can go for the metallic thread and continue your zigzag stitching pattern to provide it with the shard effect. You can also keep the color of the second thread the same as the base.
Step 6 – Finish the sewing by stitching around the edge
While completing the work, you can choose any of the threads you desire and stitch the zigzag design with your free hand across the border. It will help in securing the borders properly as these are the high areas that may unravel. You can also repeat this method with the similar color thread you used for the base tracing if you don’t desire to contrast the border.
Step 7 – Remove the hoop.
Once you are done with all the stitching and shaping, you should remove the hoop. After doing that, trim around the design roughly before washing the fabric gently by hand. It doesn’t require any soap or detergent to clean; instead, just the cold or hot water, depending on your stabilizer. Besides, the fabric wash instructions can also help to get the perfect result.
When it gets rinsed, it works well, and you will attain your gorgeous design. You can also soak the fabric in water for some minutes, and the stabilizer will disappear completely.
You can even dab it with a wet cloth to dissolve and disappear the stabilizer without much effort.
Step 8 – Dry the embroidery
After washing the fabric, lie the embroidered fabric over any flat surface to dry out. Alternatively, to form the curved shape, place the final result on the mug or the bowl. Once it gets dried, it will hold the shape of the material it was kept at. The shape is up to you and you can form any of the shapes you like to form for your embroidered work.
You can also complete it by attaching the ribbon by the machine or hand to hang it.
Some More Helpful Hints To Use Wash-away Stabilizer
You need not use the straight stitches and can use the zigzag stitching pattern as well. Secondly, when it is for the soluble fabric, you should never over stitch. Building the thicker and override stitches forms the firmer form once the material disappears.
Another instruction to follow is to wash with care. While cleaning the fabric, you should be gentle and don’t get afraid of leaving some fabric residue. It will act as the glue and seal your stitches.
Soluble stabilizers may be tricky for the fabric to handle, but if it doesn’t work out for the first time, you can perform it again. Once you master it, you can produce beautiful lace works and embroidery patchings.
Wash away stabilizers are used rarely as compared to the tear away and the cutaway stabilizers. They are best known for their transparency, water solubility, and flexibility. You will love the final work done using the wash-away stabilizer.
So, they are one of the best stabilizers for your project that requires no traces of stabilizers to be left on the fabric after embroidery. They are also considered the appropriate invisible stabilizers and are used with sheer materials or more delicate pieces requiring consistent stand-alone or wash-and-wear lace designs.
Use the wash-away stabilizer now and get your embroidery done with a perfect finish.
Crafting has always been a deep-seated passion of mine, one that has flourished and evolved over the years.
I've dedicated considerable time to both studying and practicing in the realm of fashion and sewing, amassing a wealth of experience and skills.
It brings me great joy to share these insights and experiences with you all, hoping to inspire and foster a similar passion for the art of sewing.
- How To Hem Chiffon With Tape - January 21, 2024
- How To Fix Ripped Jeans That Ripped Too Much? - January 9, 2024
- How To Make Pants Waist Smaller Without Sewing? - January 8, 2024
