Forgive my ignorance, but could someone kindly enlighten me as to what 'wss' is, and when it should/could be used? I'm assuming it's a type of stabiliser, but I've never heard of it. Thanks.

Iam assumming that "wss" means, Water soluable Stabilizer, ideal for lace work etc
Katiemj

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by ruthie 04 Jan 2008

That's right Katie, and if you read all the answers on this page, you'll discover heaps of information. I did, thanks to everyone who wrote.

You should use it as well for towels and such to keep the design from going down into the nap.

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by ruthie 03 Jan 2008

Thanks for that lady, kind of you to answer. I haven't embroidered directly onto towels as yet, something still to try.

it is a water soluable that you use for free standing lace to get a ideal of what you can do with it go to www.emblibrary.com click on lace.I have really gotten hooked on some of these projects I made the sleigh with santa and the reindeers for my office to display and ended up taking orders for 9 sets also done the nativity scene all done with wss very easy to do.

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by ruthie 03 Jan 2008

Grammy, thanks for that, it sounds like you’ve been really busy, how about posting some photos on the project page, I’d love to see them and am sure everyone else would too. I've sent you a flower.

WSS is water soluble stabilizer and is used for making free standing lace (fsl); embroidery on any fabric with a nap and especially on towels. If the towel is very thick a double layer may be necessary. Depending on the design some people use bridal netting in place of the wss as it generally tears away quite easily. However if there are small open areas this is not a good idea. There are other stabilizers that are dissolvable with the application of heat (hair dryer). Check out Discount Embroidery. :-) mumra

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by ruthie 01 Jan 2008

Thanks for answering mumra, I've certainly been given plenty to think about from everyone.

I'm guessing that 'wss' means Water Soluble Stabilizer.

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by ruthie 24 Dec 2007

You guessed right, nancy. Thank you for replying. There's a flower on it's way to you. Merry Christmas.

Water Soluble Stabilizer. It washes away with water

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by ruthie 22 Dec 2007

Thanks for your answer konalinda. I've sent you a flower, have a merry Christmas.

I have to say that everyone who answered has been soooo helpful and I really have been given heaps of info to mull over. I'm amazed by the number of people who took the time to answer, some of them in great detail. It's so good to know that there are people out there who are willing to share their knowledge. I just hope that the day will come when I know enough to repay your generosity. Wishing you all a very Merry and safe Christmas.

WSS - is Water Soluble Stabilizer - stabilizer that washes away - after you have stitched your item.

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by ruthie 22 Dec 2007

Shirlene (please correct me if that isn't your name). Thanks for your answer, there's a flower on it's way for your help. Merry Christmas.

by shirlener88 27 Mar 2008

No correction needed - yes, Shirlene is my name!

There are 2 types of WSS...water soluble stabilizer...one is a topping that looks and feels kind of like plastic wrap for using on towel, fleece, t-shirts or anything with a nap to keep the stitches from sinking into the fabric and not being seen as well. The other kind feels kind of like fabric and is used on the back of your design and is used for free standing lace. The 2 brands I have used are H2O Gone and Vilene. Hope this helps.

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by ruthie 22 Dec 2007

Your info is gratefully received Debbie (please correct me if I've got your name wrong). I've sent you a thank you flower for your help. Have a very Merry Christmas.

Sorry, Ruthie, I just hate when folks do short abreviations and I don't know what they are talking about. I appologize for doing that in my question. WSS is water soluble stabilizer. Merry Christmas!

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by ruthie 22 Dec 2007

You're forgiven too Freida. It's good that we have this Q&A (initials!) so that we can ask. I've sent you a flower. Merry Christmas.

Reading the post about WSS on top of towels reminded me of this--just FYI (for your information, lol), my dealer has just started carrying Floriani products, and at a seminar the demonstrator gave us a hint about the topping to use for towels and heavy nap stuff. She suggested (and had examples) to use Heat N Gone by Floriani as a towel topper instead of a WSS. You can put your iron on the edges and it goes away (without gumming up the iron, it's magic!) but the part under the stitches stays intact even after washing, keeping those stitches down in place permanently, without the WSS washing out and the terry poking through. Seemed like a neat idea, her samples looked great. I have never done a towel yet, so no personal experience, but I'm getting to towels. What king of stabilizer would you use to back a towel, anyway, tearaway? I'd love to do the Christmas & Firebird fonts on towels, but not sure how to stabilize. Thanks, Marji

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by cutiepie 21 Dec 2007

Hi, Marji. Yes, tearaway works well for towels. So does the fabric-type WSS, and I imagine that the Floriani Heat-N-Gone would work great. I recommed against trying to actually hoop the towel (it is so bulky that it is nearly impossible to hoop it straight) but to instead use either a spray adhesive or long straight pins to attach it to the hooped stabilizer.

by cutiepie 21 Dec 2007

cont. (it is so bulky that it is nearly impossible to hoop it straight) but to instead use either a spray adhesive or long straight pins to attach it to the hooped stabilizer.

by tmbache 21 Dec 2007

Yes!! The heat n gone works wonderful on towels.Personally myself i use it only on top when the deign is NOT a dense design on top and bottom when is.I've done both the christmas and Firebird fonts with only top and they came out beautiful. Heat N Gone is only thing I use on towels and fleece. Merry christmas to all.

by ruthie 22 Dec 2007

tmbache, thanks for your help, although I think the ending went missing, but I got the drift of it all. Sorry I can't send you a flower as you replied with a comment, not an answer, and if it's possible to send flowers that way - I don't know how. But have a really terrific Christmas.

by ruthie 22 Dec 2007

(continued from previous)But have a really terrific Christmas.

by ruthie 22 Dec 2007

Marji, thanks very much for your helpful answer, I've sent you a flower to say thanks. I was saddened to hear you lost your husband and best friend recently, please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you at this very sad time and I hope that peace, love and strength surround you throughout the Christmas season. XX

by ruthie 22 Dec 2007

(continued from previous) and I hope that peace, love and strength surround you throughout the Christmas season. XX

by marjialexa 22 Dec 2007

Thanks, Ruthie, I WILL have a good Christmas, cause Bud would want me to, and cause I have so many good embroidery, quilter and sewist friends! Life will get better, love surrounds me, Spring will come. Merry Christmas! Marji

Ruthie, I'm sorry that we didn't at least once give the name instead of just initials. I will try to remember to do that next time. Thank you for bringing that to our attention! ;)

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by ruthie 22 Dec 2007

You're forgiven jrob, and thanks for your consideration of that in the future. I've sent you a flower, merry Christmas.

There is just a touch more to it than just being stabilizer that washes out in water. There are three main types: fabric-type, heavy-weight plastic-type and topper. ***** The fabric-type is white and looks like non-woven fabric (or interfacing). Some brands include viline and H2O-gone. These are used for making FSL (free-standing lace) and things like coasters where you want the satin-stitched edge to look very neat with no little threads sticking out and without risking clipping the satin stiching when you trim the fabric away (you trim the fabric prior to stitching the satin stitch, but leave the stabilizer intact, and then wash away the stabilizer when complete). ****** The second, the heavy-weight plastic-type, looks very much like heavy plastic ground tarp/painter's tarp. It is clear/translucent. Badgemaster is one brand of this type. This can be used in the same ways as the fabric-type. It is mostly a personal preference. Some people fear that the "plastic" will tear, and it could if the design is too dense (you could just use two layers, in that case). ****** The third type is sometimes called topper because it is typically used on top of your fabric to prevent the design from "sinking" into the nap of the fabric, like when you are stitching on towels, sweatshirts, or polar fleece. It looks like plastic wrap (very thin, like you'd use to cover food). Sulky's Solvy is an example of a brand of this type of stabilizer.

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by ruthie 21 Dec 2007

Wow, cutiepie, that is one very indepth answer, thank you so very much. I've used the Solvy, mainly for FSL, and mainly because it was the only wss that the shop had! Thanks heaps for explaining all that, I've sent you a flower for all the effort and time you took to answer my query, thanks again.

by ruthie 21 Dec 2007

(think I must have typed too many characters!)this continues on from the previous comment - that you took to answer my question, very much appreciated, thanks again.

by cutiepie 21 Dec 2007

You are very welcome! I am (as my family calls me) a "Font of Useless Knowledge," and I love to share it whenever I can. =] As it turns out, one person's "useless" is another person's "helpful" information!

by ruthie 22 Dec 2007

Cutiepie, I know what you mean by 'useless knowledge', and your right, I've discovered that usually it's only useless to me! Merry Christmas.

by shirlener88 27 Mar 2008

Thanks for the info.

WSS is short for Water Soluble Stabiliser. As the name suggests, it washes out in water !

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by ruthie 20 Dec 2007

Thanks very much siouxx05. It's obvious when you know - but I didn't! I've sent you a flower for your help.

by celticlady1031 27 Dec 2007

Due to the holiday I haven't been online for a while. Ruthie I see you have gotten an answer, actually several answers to your question. As for the water soluble choice I have used nothing but tear away on less dense towels with no problems. On very dense/thick towels I use Heat N Gone and love it.

by ruthie 01 Jan 2008

Thanks for that celticlady.

by shirlener88 27 Mar 2008

siouxx05, I love your avatar.