For the Business of Apparel Decorating
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68 | PRINTWEAR M A RC H 20 1 5 W hen decorators learn about stabilizers for machine em- broidery, they're often taught tearaway and cutaway first. For some embroiderers, this is as far as it goes. Tearaway and cutaway backing are the backbones of stabilizing machine em- broidery, and to this group, nothing else is necessary. However, these decorators miss the opportunities that specialty backings can provide. Whether it's adhesive backing or material for waterproofing embroidery, polymesh, or water-soluble top- ping, specialty backings open a range of additional embroidery op- tions. If you're not familiar with all of the available special- ty backing options, here are some products to consider adding to your stock of stabilizers. WORKING WITH POLYMESH A soft, sheer, textured backing, polymesh goes by many names but primarily comes from one mill. This backing was developed for use with sheer fabrics, such as tulle and chiffon, and lightweight garments, such as T-shirts and polos. The texture allows the polymesh sta- bilizer to hold a large number of stitches, despite its lightweight, which reduces the number of pieces needed to stabilize the gar- ment. Because polymesh is sheer and light, show-through is minimized on garments. Polymesh can also help eliminate the unsightly wad of cutaway or tearaway backing that is often employed to hold a large number of stitches on flim- sier materials. A fusible version is also available with all the quali- ties of regular polymesh, but it can be fused by heat to the dec- orated material. Fusible polymesh has two main uses. One use is as a skin protec- tor. Using a fusible polymesh is common for those who embroider baby and children's clothes. The fusible polymesh is sealed over the back of the embroidery to protect delicate skin from irritation. The second use is to stabilize stretchy or flimsy fabrics. Because fusible polymesh literally fuses to the material, it provides an extra layer of stability and helps minimize stretching when embroidering performance garments or flimsy fabrics. PLAYING WITH WATER AND FIRE Water-soluble topping keeps stitches from sinking into the pile of the fabric, and there are two types of water-soluble topping. One type is for fabrics that have a pile, such as fleece and terrycloth. Once the embroidery is complete, the design is misted and the ex- cess topping dissolves, or it can be weeded from the embroidery. Without this topping, stitches can sink into the pile, but with it, they stay on top of the fabric where they belong. The second type of water-soluble topping isn't a topping so much as it is a material that can be stitched into directly. These water-soluble options have a variety of names and can make free-standing lace, embroidered ornaments, and other Kristine Shreve is the director of marketing for EnMart and parent company Ensign Emblem. She developed and writes the EnMart EmbroideryTalk Blog at blog.myenmart. com and the SubliStuff blog at www.sublistuff.com. She additionally maintains the EnMart Twitter feed (www.twitter.com/enmartian) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ enmartpage). Reach her by email at kristine.shreve@myenmart.com. M A RC H 20 1 5 ty backing options, here are some products to consider adding to your stock of stabilizers. WORKING WITH POLYMESH A soft, sheer, textured backing, polymesh goes by many names but primarily comes from one mill. This backing was developed for use with sheer fabrics, such as tulle and chiffon, and lightweight garments, such as T-shirts and polos. The texture allows the polymesh sta- bilizer to hold a large number of stitches, despite its lightweight, which reduces the number of pieces needed to stabilize the gar- Because polymesh is sheer and light, show-through is minimized on garments. Polymesh can also help eliminate the unsightly wad of cutaway or tearaway backing that is often employed to hold a large number of stitches on flim- it can be fused by heat to the dec- orated material. Fusible polymesh has two main uses. One use is as a skin protec- performance garments or flimsy fabrics. PLAYING WITH WATER AND FIRE Water-soluble topping keeps stitches from sinking into the pile of the fabric, and there are two types of water-soluble topping. One type is for fabrics that have a pile, such as fleece and terrycloth. Once the embroidery is complete, the design is misted and the ex cess topping dissolves, or it can be weeded from the embroidery. Without this topping, stitches can sink into the pile, but with it, they stay on top of the fabric where they belong. The second type of water-soluble topping isn't a topping so much as it is a material that can be stitched into directly. These water-soluble options have a variety of names and can make free-standing lace, embroidered ornaments, and other Expand Your Capabilities Specialized backings offer more decorating options B Y K R I S T I N E S H R E V E If you're limiting your- self to cutaway and tearway stabilizers, you're missing out on countless opportunities to ex- pand your embroidery business. (All images courtesy the author)