Removing Excess Stabilizer

There are different kinds of stabilizer and each can be removed in a different way. Cut away stabilizer is meant to be ... you guessed correctly... cut away. The more stabilizer you remove, the softer and more flexible the design will be. For a solid design, this means trimming close to the edges of the design, clipping into any open areas (between the points of a star, for example). If the design has lots of open places inside, trimming the stabilizer from those spots will allow the design to relax and flatten out. How much you are willing to trim is up to you.

Tear away stabilizers are made to tear easily along the edge of the stitching. If you have stitched a redwork design, or if your filled design has narrow stitches that extend from the center of the design, you can reduce the strain on those stitches by holding them between the thumb and forefinger of your left hand while pulling the stabilizer with your right hand. Small areas can be lifted with a dental pick, a seam ripper, or the tip of your scissors (carefully!). Remove as much as possible.

Water-soluble stabilizers (WSS) are used as topping over napped fabrics and for freestanding lace. These dissolve in warm water. First, gently tear away as much of the stabilizer as you can. If the WSS is a topping, you may be able to remove the rest with a wet cotton swab. This avoids rinsing the fabric which tends to spread the WSS residue into the item. For freestanding lace, rinse in warm or very warm water, gently working the lace with your fingers to help release the stabilizer. Rinse under running water until the lace no longer feels gooey. Spread on plain white paper towels, smoothing the lace into shape, then blot with another layer of paper towels. Allow to dry. For a doily or ornament, you may want to leave in some of the stabilizer to help stiffen the design. If the lace is too stiff to use as an edging, place it in a lingerie bag and wash on gentle cycle, then dry as described above.

Heat-away and melt-away stabilizers are dissolved with an iron. Follow package instructions for best results. These are a good alternative to WSS on non-washable items.

Next issue: needles and pre-wound bobbins

from Mary Jane Allen of Perfect Little Stitches

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Baby Blocks or
Tissue Box or Bank

These beautiful blocks are 4" and
are entirely done in the hoop, there is
no machine stitching required.

All designs fit in a 4x4 hoop.
Includes26 upper case letters and
two extra designs to make a
tissue box or bank.

MasterPiece
by Alex Anderson

Nature's finest thread.
#50/2 extra-long staple
Egyptian cotton for piecing,
detail quilting, bobbin, lace,
and appliqué. Very smooth
with virtually no lint.