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Hi Joyce, I see you have wonderful answers - I love the WSS (Water Soluable Stabilizer) aka wash away for all my FSL - I have used it on towels - but like what some of the others have said - with a light density design - I like the light weight tear away for my towels - with a WSS topping (the light syran wrap looking kind) to keep the design from sinking into the toweling.
by squeakyflower
30 Jul 2011
I got some really good information. :) I will get up the nerve to try it *chuckle* What does FSL stand for? Still a little new to all this :)
Joyce
211078If you can find the Perforated stabilizer it might be a good choice for your linen towels. It will tear around your design and not distort your design from tearing the stabilizer. I personally use this type for most all embroidery. It is wonderful, lbrow ( my firend) another cute member gave me a piece and I am hooked on it. I had to order off the net. If you would like I can find the site I ordered from and send you just send me a pm and I will look it up. I think I should have it in my email file.
by marjialexa
30 Jul 2011
Never heard of this, sounds interesting. If you get a chance, the website would be nice. If Lillian likes it, it must be good, right? hee hee hee, hugs, Marji
by nanniesara
30 Jul 2011
You are so wright, Miss Lillian is my go to guru. I meet her here on cute and we live about 45 miles apart. I do love her like family. I bought a whole bolt of it and i will be using it for a while.
by nanniesara
30 Jul 2011
Here's a link for the type of stabilizer. I cannot find the place I bought mine. But this is a much better price. and it is the same size bolt. I paid about $75.00 for mine. I have purchased needles from this place and they are great to deal with. Take a look and check it out. This stabilizer is soft when you finish. Good luck.
by squeakyflower
30 Jul 2011
Got the link and thank you! Sure will be interested to see how it works. All this stabilizer stuff is so confusing. Thanks again!! :)
by airyfairy
31 Jul 2011
This is interesting Sara, I ordered some things from a company here in SA and they did not have one of the items I ordered so they sent me a couple of meters of perforated tear away instead. I have been too wary to try it but after your posting I will give it a go. Thank you.
10191I see you've gotten your answer, so I'll just welcome you to the Cute family instead. Glad you've joined us, not only will you find friends you'll also get a wealth of information. Karen
20661Welcome to cute, You will be here alot!!! I learn and still learning everyday. DeVon
72397Marjialexa answered very well so I'm just going to say welcome!
by squeakyflower
30 Jul 2011
Thank you for the nice welcome. Still learning my way around here. Actually I am "learning" a great deal with this new hobby I have picked up. *chuckle*
462683Hi, Squeaky, welcome to Cute! I'm guessing you're new to machine embroidery, hope I'm not telling you stuff you already know. The whole point of "stabilizer" is to give a strong enough base to hold the required number of stitches without the fabric getting pulled every which way and distorted. So, if you have a dense design, such as most any filled design, you're going to need to keep those stitches stable. You certainly can use a wash-away stabilizer on linen towels, and I have done so myself, but only when the design was very light, like redwork. If you use the wash-away under a filled design, when you wash the towel and the stabilizer is gone, those stitches are not going to have anything to hang onto, and the design is probably going to get distorted. Another way I've used on linen towels is to starch them really well, and don't use stabilizer at all, but again, only with redwork designs. I use the same color thread for the bobbin, so the design is two sided. Hope this helps, hugs, Marji
by squeakyflower
30 Jul 2011
Marji, Yes I am new to machine embroidery and "self taught" so your answer was great! I do see what you mean now. Without the stabilizer there is nothing to hang onto. Can I ask you one more questions? What is the wash away backing usually used for? Thank you so much! :)
by marjialexa
30 Jul 2011
Wash away is usually used for making free standing lace designs (fsl). You hoop the fabric-type (not the plastic wrap type) wash away, and stitch the fsl right onto it. Then, you wash it away, usually dissolves in warm water, and you have a piece of lace you made on your machine! The plastic wrap type is a wash away some people put on top of fabric with a pile, like towels, to keep the stitches from sinking into the fabric. Personally, I like Floriani's heat 'n' gone for that, because the heat dissolves only the plastic outside of the stitches, leaving the plastic under the stitches to keep the loops in. Keep asking, the girls and guys here all know so much, and often have learned the hard way like you are, so they're great at giving some really good advice. Hugs, Marji
by squeakyflower
30 Jul 2011
I can't tell you how much I appreciate the info. I had read on one of the site that this new wash away backing was all the rage in machine embroidery but being a newbie I wasn't even sure what it does. Thanks Marji :)
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