Stabilizer & Fabric Matching Guide

This stabilizer & fabric matching guide will help you make the right stabilizer choice based on the
weight, quality, and type of fabric that you are using.
When fabric is produced, manufacturers don't anticipate that anything will be added to it. When we're
adding the weight and tension of thread and stitches to fabric, that fabric needs to be made stronger
and more 'stable' with stabilizer. If the fabric isn't stabilized appropriately, you can experience many
'headaches,' such as poor registration, design segments not lining up, density problems, puckering,
gapping, and more.
There are a few rules that can be summarized here: The heavier the fabric you have, the lighter
stabilizer you need. The weaker/lighter the fabric you have, the heavier stabilizer you need. One layer
of stabilizer is appropriate for 99.9% of projects, and two pieces of tearaway stabilizer is not a good
choice when the fabric is best served by one piece of cutaway.
If you are sewing on a flimsy fabric with a stabilizer that is too weak, you'll see gapping, poor
registration, puckering, and other embroidery 'nightmares.' Conversely, if you are sewing on a heavy
fabric with heavy stabilizer, the result will be bulky, and you're making the machine and needle work
harder than what it needs to.
Avoid embroidery headaches - choose the right stabilizer every time with this guide!
Type Fabric Quality Stabilizer Choice
Cotton
Canvas Durable, heavy, coarse
tearaway; if heavy
canvas no stabilizer
necessary
if cap, and cap has
buckram, then no
stabilizer necessary
Corduroy Heavy, textured, ribbed,
tight weave
Corduroy Heavy,
textured, ribbed, tight
weave tearaway if heavy;
cutaway if lightweight;
heat-dissipating to avoid
wetting fabric
Denim Heavy, strong, smooth,
tight weave
tearaway; if heavy denim
no stabilizer necessary
Drill
Strong, tightly woven,
used in suits, pants,
gloves
tearaway
Duck
Heavy, tightly woven.
Used in awnings, tents,
clothing, tote bags
tearaway if thicker,
cutaway if thinner, no
backing necessary if very
thick

Stabilizer & Fabric Matching Gui
Flannel Woven, nap on one or
both sides cutaway
Gauze Sheer, loosely woven,
stretchy
cutaway, with spray
adhesive
Gingham Lightweight, woven knit cutaway
Muslin Woven, coarse cutaway with adhesive, or
stickyback
Organdy Thin, slippery cutaway with adhesive
Percale Closely woven, light
weight cutaway
Pique (golf shirt) stretchy, woven, porous
knit Cutaway, topping optional
Poplin Woven, twill
cutaway, possibly
tearaway depending on
weight
Sateen Cotton fabric with a satin
weave cutaway
Seersucker Lightweight cotton,
textured, bumpy cutaway with adhesive
Sweatshirt Smooth, stretchy cutaway
T-shirt Smooth, woven, stretchy cutaway or tearaway
depending on quality
Terrycloth Looped fabric, high pile cutaway or tearaway,
topping
Velveteen Cotton fabric with velvetlike
pile sticky-back cutaway
Wool (Alpaca, Mohair,
Angora, Camel,
Cashmere, Vicuna)
Broadcloth loose weave, sturdy cutaway
Felt Lightweight, entangled
not woven cutaway
Flannel Soft, lightweight, nap on
one or both sides cutaway
Gabardine tightly woven twill, smooth cutaway
Herringbone tightly woven twill,
textured cutaway
Jersey knit, lightweight cutaway
Merino soft, fine, smooth cutaway
Oatmeal durable, textured,
lightweight, soft cutaway
Sharkskin woven, shiny, smooth cutaway
Tweed woven, textured, rough
and flexible cutaway

Stabilizer & Fabric Matching Gui
Silk (strongest natural
fiber, oldest textile,
fibers harvested from
cocoon of silkworm)
Brocade
Woven, usually with
manufactured/man-made
fibers
tearaway
Chiffon Transparent, lightweight,
thin tearaway
Dupioni
Lightweight, uneven
threads result in “raw”
appearance
tearaway
Organza Sheer, lightweight, thin tearaway, light spray
adhesive if necessary
Broadcloth Lightweight, sturdy, crisp cutaway
Linen “Raw” appearance cutaway with spray
adhesive or sticky-back
Satin Satin weave on one side cutaway with spray
adhesive or sticky-back
Linen (from flax, strong,
2-3 times the strength
of cotton, sturdy,
smooth, lint-free)
Butcher’s Linen
Sturdy, heavy, used for
sturdy clothing (aprons)
and can be used as
interfacing
cutaway
Damask Patterned weave cutaway
Venise Thin damask, patterned cutaway
Manufactured/Man-Made
Acetate Lightweight, resilient cutaway
Acrylic Lightweight, thin cutaway
Polar Fleece Lightweight, breathable
polyester cutaway
Nylon Strong, elastic, smooth cutaway, with spray
adhesive or sticky-back
Polyester Strong, stretchy cutaway, with spray
adhesive or sticky-back
Rayon Strong, soft, silky,
lightweight tearaway
Spandex Elastic, stretchy, used in
exercise clothing, hosiery
cutaway, with spray
adhesive or sticky-back


Leather durable, smooth, strong
cutaway for thinner, like
lambskin; tearaway for
thicker, like cowhide
Suede
smooth, durable, low nap,
possible texture, possible
stretch
cutaway for thinner;
tearaway for thicker,
Velvet smooth, nap of varying
heights, possible stretch
sticky-back, heatdissipating
to avoid
wetting fabric, topping