Maybe the problem is with the design

EL designs are very dense, I usually lower the density. I really think that is the problem. Sticky stablizer won't be your answer, it is a tear away, unless you float another stablizer under it. Are you hooping too tight?
BTW if you buy sticky stablizer from Marathon, you won't have the problem with it gumming up your needle. I have used theirs for years with no problem ever.

I have used their products for years, they are good and the prices are also.

Have you changed your needle (new needle)you could try a titanium needle they stay sharper longer and checked that your bobbin thread tension is correct? Best of Luck, I have used many of their designs with no trouble, I admit they are generally very stitch intensive but have never caused problems

I don't have issues with sticky stabilizer - I use it alot. I use wash-away vilene from Floriani or WorldWeidner. Floriani is stickier and WorldWeidner is less expensive.

I am wondering what design this is...can you show us a picture? I have stitched out alot of their designs with no problems...even tho many are dense. Have you tryed just hooping your stabilizer then baste your fabric to stabilizer. What size needle are you using. Can you make your stitches abit looser by the settings on your embroidery machine? Just thoughts. H&*

I'm not as experienced as a lot of the others here but here is what I'd do. I'd hoop the stabiliser alone. How big is the design? If it's a 5x7, or bigger than 4x4, I'd put a frame of thin batting (some people use rubber bands, others use non-slip rubber matting stuff) the size of the hoop over the stabilizer to hold it firmly in the hoop.
Then I'd give two light sprays of temporary spray glue and lay the fabric onto the stabiliser and hold it down until the glue dries enough to hold the fabric.
I get the fabric in the right place by finding the centre of the hoop with my plastic hoop measuring sheet and put a dot. Then I find the centre of where I want the design on the fabric and put the point of a pin through that point and then through the dot on the stabiliser. I do all this on my ironing board which doesn't mind being stuck firmly with pins.
Once the glue is dry enough to hold the fabric I pin around the edge of the fabric just inside the hoop.

Before I begin stitching I always 'Fix' a basting line - slow speed - to make sure that none of the pins will interfere with the needle, and to hold the fabric firmly in the right place while stitching.

This method eliminates stretching the fabric fibres out of place that sometimes happens when you hoop the fabric with the stabiliser.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'bottom weight cotton' but the only time fabric has puckered for me is when I've hooped it with the stabiliser in the bigger hoop and tried to make it 'straight'. If you give the fabric a bit of a tug to straighten it or tighten it then you can stretch the fibres and once it's released from the hoop the fibres will want to bounce back but the ones under the stitching won't be able to so the fabric around the design will pucker to compensate.

From what you've told us here it seems to me not so much a stabiliser or density problem but more of a hooping the fabric problem.

I hope you find a solution so that you can use the knowledge in future projects.

AlmaG.

I had to modify a design I got from emblibrary because it was too dense, and I just wanted it out of my machine safely. If you know the design from watching it, can you miss some stitches? I did not know the design, so I have some blank area, I figure paint or marker will do the trick and give it character. Live and learn. As long a it is not sold or given away can a digitizer can fix their own copy of a design to stitch the way they want it? You can feel more than 4 - layers of stitching on top of any fabric. What is interesting is this can happen when the digitizer uses stiple stitches, long thready stitches and too small outline stitches. I choose my outlines carefully! Good Luck!

Try ironing Shirt-Tailor onto the back of your fabric, then stablize as ususal and sew away. The shirt tailor is now a permanent part of your fabric.
You should have a perfectly sewn design with no puckers, I have used this method on light weight cottons with much success.

There are a lot of good answers here. I have one more suggestion. I had that problem with a design and it was frustrating me, but I wanted it to work. I starched the fabric, let it dry and then ironed it good and flat. If you do that, be sure to dilute your starch a little bit. My first trial failed because I used pure starch on dry fabric, which yielded a very stable piece of fabric. BUT it was so firm that the needle didn't want to pierce it. There is a happy medium there somewhere. I'm wondering if your fabric is perhaps a loosely woven fabric?? That might have something to do with it, because then the thread can distort due to the lower thread count of the fabric. Just for grins, try stitching the design out on a piece of fabric that is tried and true, and see if your fabric choice plays ay roll in the problem or not. Good luck. I hope you find your answers, expand your knowledge base and learn a whole new bag of tricks all in one fell swoop. :)
Oh, I just thought of something else. Someone hinted that they use press and seal plastic wrap as a sticky stabilizer at a fraction of the cost. I imagine that wouldn't gum up the needle so bad and would be far cheaper.I want to try that when my machine comes home to me. Hang in there and good luck!!!

I'd also lower the top tension a bit.

Have you thought it was the design itself. Some just have to many stitches and no matter what you due they pucker.

If it is the design e-mail the store and let them know, they may have some suggestions or will fix the design for you.

You got your answer, probably it is not you , but the design is too dense.