Brainstorm...while pressing fabric for a quilt, I had an idea for all the bits of stabilizer that I usually sew together with water soluble thread. Why not glue them together with Elmer's school glue (washable)? I thinned the glue a bit with water, just enough so that it flowed from the spout--glued the overlaps of stabilizer. You can press with iron to dry the glue if it is tear-away or cut-away. The water soluble stabilizers will "melt" from the wet glue. Anyway, I now have a stack of 4x4 and 5x7 sheets for embroidery. They can float under the hoop, or "I believe" they are strong enough to hoop. Here is sample showing.

Thanks so much for this tip. I have lots of Elmer's and will mix some with water in a small jar. I also keep scraps of WSS with water in a small jar and paint it in with a paintbrush whenever I need a little support in an area.

What a great idea! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for the tip.

Doesn't the ironing make them hard? Great tip. Hugs. Nan W

Thank you for the tip. I always sew bits if stabilizer together, I hate wasting it. This will be much quicker than sewing it together. xx

Definitely a Brainstorm idea.. thank you for the brilliant tip.. Marian

I love your idea. I've tried touching spots to fuse two pieces and then ironing them, but they crinkle all up. I think I must have my iron set too warm. I save all of my stabilizer scraps to use for one thing or another. We didn't just buy the middle of a chunk; we paid for the whole thing. I have bins of water soluble, tear away, cut away, etc.
Another thing that those water soluble stabilizer scraps works well with is when you are adding lace or any trim to an item. It gives that stiffness that helps everything stay where it belongs under the needle.
Keep the ideas coming. I love "RECYCLING". Thank you. :)

Thank you for sharing this tip and for all those who commented. Considered it wasteful to discard the stabilizer scraps and have been saving them for just the right idea to come along. Going to do this for sure. Just love the sharing of these ideas.

Thanks for the tip. I usually stick a piece of stabilizer that I have removed from another design to cover the hole in a sheet of stabilizer so that I can use the sheet again. As I usually use 2 sheets of stabilizer for each design, I can fold the piece and put it between the two sheets I am now using and still have the same amount of stabilizer; except for the edges of the hole. Confusing I know, just hard to explain.

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by pennyhal2 22 Dec 2014

Not confusing! Good idea.

Great post, keep the ideas flowing!

Thank you for sharing, these tips. Will have to try them.

Okay. I admit to being 'frugal, or 'cheap'. But I prefer to call it 'recycling'. :-)
Sometimes I can scoot a small piece of stabilizer under the hoop--but other times I like to hoop it and float my article on top. It seems such a waste to throw away a sheet of stabilizer with a little hole in the middle. Stitching the scraps together seems to be so time consuming, and difficult to tear away because of stitching. I didn't have a glue stick today, but lots of school glue since I layer my quilts with it often.

Well done and thanks for sharing this good idea. keep thinking of good ideas and keep sharing.

Another good use for them is all the little scraps I keep at my sewing machine and use them as a leader, I put it under the fabric to be sewn and it doesn't bunch up! I have a lot of tear away so it works great!

Never thought to use my scraps of WSS, I seem to throw it in water all the time for starch!

I use a glue stick for the water soluble stabilizers. Love the sharing of ideas.

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by sewtired 21 Dec 2014

I like the glue stick idea. Thanks. I have them in my sewing room but never thought of using it on stabilizer.

Now that is a quick and easy tip! Thanks.

Good tip. Thank you for sharing. With the clear plastic looking wss I used to dampen a sponge and stick the pieces together, then I would place a piece of brown paper or Teflon sheet over the top and iron it. With the new fabric looking wss that method doesn't work so I am really interested in this method you have created. Thank you.

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by crafter2243 21 Dec 2014

If you use the fabric kind of wss just lick you finger and brush across the edge or take a BARELY damp sponge and just dab. You can still iron it after they stick together. Just make sure you do not have the steam going.

Yup...love Elmers School Glue...you can also use the glue stick...I love doing this with my useable scraps to make them more accessible to the bigger frames...and, yes, you can hoop them...they work great!!!

Smart!

Excellent idea! I am going to do this. Thanks!