Introducing Sulky stabilizers | What they are and what to use them for

This week I’ll introduce you to several different Sulky stabilizers. You’re sure to find just the right one for your project from the many types and sizes that are available.

6 different Sulky stabilizers

Sulky Solvy Water Soluble Stabilizer comes in 5 different sizes including the 19½” x 36″ piece that I’ll be using this week up to a 19½” x 25 yd bolt! Itʼs a lightweight, temporary stabilizer and is the perfect topper when embroidering to keep stitches from sinking into fabrics such as sweater knits and fleece, and to hold down toweling nap. You can also make it into liquid stabilizer. More on that technique later this week! It dissolves quickly in water but can often be removed with just a wet Q-Tip.

Sulky Super Solvy water soluble stabilizer comes in 4 different sizes: 19½” x 36″, 12″ x 9 yd, 8″ x 9 yd and 19½” x 25 yd. This is a medium-weight, temporary stabilizer that is twice as heavy as Solvy. Itʼs ideal for heavy cutwork, decorative edge stitching, making heavily stitched lace fabric, open work, large block monogramming, transferring a design, 3D appliqué, turning appliqués and more! It can be used on either side of the fabric and dissolves quickly in water but can often be removed with just a wet Q-Tip.

Super Solvy and Solvy stabilizers

Sulky Cut-Away Plus comes in a 20″ x 36″ piece as well as 8″ x 8 yd and 20″ x 25 yd bolts.

Itʼs a medium-weight, permanent stabilizer that’s ideal for denser machine embroidery, appliqué and monogramming on heavier knits, outerwear, sweatshirts, etc. Removal is easy once stitching is completed ‑ just remove from the hoop and cut away the stabilizer up to the outer edge of stitching.

Cut-Away Plus stabilizer

Sulky Soft ‘n Sulky Sheer Cut-Away comes in black and white in many different size packages. Itʼs a lightweight, permanent stabilizer that’s ideal as a backing stabilizer for dense embroidery or complex designs on lightweight knits and wovens, and open-weave fabrics. Itʼs sheer enough so it doesn’t show through most fabrics when excess is trimmed away, and soft enough for baby items. It can also used in layers.

Soft’n Sheer stabilizer

Sulky Heat-Away Clear Film comes in a 19¾” x 36″ piece as well as 8″ x 9 yd and 19¾” x 25 yd bolts. Use it as a topper or stabilizer on all fabrics that can withstand iron temperatures of 260° – 300° which is similar to a cotton setting on most irons. It is perfect for computer embroidered lace, Battenburg lace, free-motion thread lace, 3D thread appliqués and cutwork. You can trace a design on the film with a non-permanent marker. Place Heat-Away on right side of fabric and then stitch following the drawn design lines. For removal, press with a hot iron with no steam until all the film has melted and formed little balls. Brush away these little balls and you are finished!

Heat‑Away stabilizer

Sulky Tear-Easy comes in many different sizes including the 20″ x 36″ piece that I’ll be using this week, up to a 20″ x 25 yd bolt. This lightweight, tear-away stabilizer is ideal as a backing stabilizer. You can use as many layers as needed for support, and then easily tear away one layer at a time. Using Sulky Tear-Easy prevents the pulling, tearing or distorting of delicate straight stitching when removing it from embroidered designs. Itʼs available in both black and white.

Tear‑Easy stabilizer

Clear instructions are included with all the Sulky stabilizers.

Instructions are included with all Sulky stabilizers.

Join me tomorrow when I show you how to test some Sulky stabilizers while using decorative machine stitches.

This is part 1 of 5 in this series

Go to part 2: Testing 4 Sulky stabilizers with decorative stitching | The Result?

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