Best Embroidery Stabilizer for Knit Fabric, Towels and Hats

On this page (10 sections)

1. How do knits and towels behave under the needle?
2. What is the best stabilizer for knit fabric?
3. Can you use tear away stabilizer on knits?
4. How heavy should the stabilizer be for knits?
5. What about fleece and sweater knits?
6. Which stabilizer works best on towels?
7. What stabilizer should you use on hats?
8. What mistakes should you avoid with knits and towels?
9. How do you choose stabilizer by fabric?
10. Choosing the best embroidery stabilizer for knit fabric and towels

The best embroidery stabilizer for knit fabric is cut away, or no show mesh on light-colored knits. Towels need a water soluble topping on top, and hats need a cap hoop more than any one stabilizer.

Stitches can sink into a towel and a knit can stretch out of shape, so each fabric needs its own kind of support. This guide covers each one, with a table near the end to compare them.

If you're new to the machine side, embroidery machines for beginners is a good starting point.

How do knits and towels behave under the needle?

Knits stretch and then spring back, which can pull a design out of shape. Towels are thick and soft, so thin stitches can disappear into the loops.

Both problems come down to support. The stabilizer keeps the design where you put it, so the fabric's own stretch or softness doesn't decide the result.

What is the best stabilizer for knit fabric?

Cut away is the usual pick for knits, and no show mesh suits stretchy knits in light colors. The choice comes down to whether the backing would show through the fabric.

Knits stretch, so they need support that stays with the fabric. A cut away stabilizer is permanent, which means it stays in the piece after stitching.

New brothread says its 10-inch cut away roll is meant for knits, fleece, denim and any fabric that moves or distorts when tugged. The brand also says it helps the design hold its shape after repeated washing.

Cut away stabilizer for knit fabric

The 10-inch roll is 50 yards long and a medium weight at 2.5 oz (70 grams), which suits light to medium stitch density. For much denser designs, the brand suggests using more than one layer.

After stitching, trim the extra cut away close to the design, and the rest stays in the piece as support. Cut thread ends with snips, not by pulling.

Hooping knit fabric gently

Hoop a knit just snug enough to hold it, since a tight hoop stretches the fabric. The stabilizer adds the support that the stretch of the knit can't provide on its own.

Lay the stabilizer flat under the knit before you hoop it, so it sits smooth against the fabric.

No show mesh for light knit fabric

No show mesh is a semitransparent cut away, so the backing doesn't show through light-colored knits. New brothread suggests it for polo shirts, T-shirts and pique knits.

The mesh is lightweight, and the brand says one layer is enough for designs with light stitches. For a denser design, the brand suggests one layer of light tear away underneath the mesh.

Once the stitching is done, you can tear that layer off and leave the soft mesh in place. New brothread makes the mesh from embossed nylon and says it's soft for clothes that touch the skin.

Can you use tear away stabilizer on knits?

Usually not, since New brothread says its tear away is best on firmly woven fabric and natural fibers. A knit generally does better with a cut away or a no show mesh.

The one tear away product here is a sticky roll for pieces the hoop would damage, covered in the towel section below. The full comparison of the two common types is in cutaway vs tearaway stabilizer.

How heavy should the stabilizer be for knits?

Medium weight suits light to medium stitch density, and lightweight mesh suits light designs. New brothread's cut away and tear away rolls are both medium weight, at 2.5 oz and 1.8 oz.

Heavier stabilizer supports denser stitching, and you can add a second layer when a design is very dense.

What about fleece and sweater knits?

Fleece and sweater knits do best with two layers of help: a cut away underneath and a water soluble topping on top. The cut away holds the shape, and the topping keeps stitches from sinking into the pile.

New brothread names fleece in the uses for both its cut away roll and its topping film, and it names sweaters for the topping. The topping dissolves in water after stitching.

Which stabilizer works best on towels?

Put a water soluble topping on top of the towel, and add a backing underneath. The topping keeps the stitches on the surface, while the backing gives the design its base.

A towel's loops can swallow thin stitches, and the topping keeps them from sinking in. New brothread says its 12-inch topping film is made for high pile fabrics like towels, velvet, corduroy and terry cloth, and helps stitches stay on top.

The topping dissolves after stitching, so the finished towel has no film left on it. Our guide to how to use water soluble stabilizer walks through the steps.

Sticky tear away for bulky towels

New brothread says its self-adhesive tear away suits hard to hoop items, including bulky towels, cuffs, collars and pockets. It also suits fabrics the hooping process can damage, such as velvet, fleece and satin.

The roll is 12 inches wide and 10 yards long, and a medium weight at 1.8 oz. Cold, damp weather can weaken the stick, so the brand suggests double-sided tape to help it hold to the frame.

Keep the needle from gumming

New brothread says the adhesive can gum up the needle, so it suggests slowing the machine to about 400 stitches per minute. It also suggests cleaning the needle often with alcohol and rubbing it with a sewing lubricant.

For the needle itself, the brand recommends an anti-glue needle.

What stabilizer should you use on hats?

The one product here that New brothread names for caps is its sticky tear away, and every cap still needs a cap hoop or cap frame. Most home machines are single-needle and flat-bed, so a cap won't sit in a standard hoop.

A cap hoop or cap frame is usually sold separately. Check that any cap hoop names your exact machine model before you buy it, and follow its instructions for where the stabilizer goes.

Keep your fingers clear of the cap frame and needle while the machine runs, and unplug the machine before you change a needle.

For the machine side of caps, see can a home embroidery machine stitch hats.

What mistakes should you avoid with knits and towels?

The two to watch for are hooping knits too tight and skipping the topping on towels.

A knit hooped too tight stretches, and the design can pull out of shape once it's released. On towels, skipping the topping lets the stitches sink into the loops and lose their shape.

How do you choose stabilizer by fabric?

Match the stabilizer to the fabric, and use this table as a quick guide.

Here is how the four stabilizers in this guide compare on the specs.

If you're comparing the two most common permanent options, cutaway vs tearaway stabilizer explains the difference. For more cut away picks, see best cutaway stabilizers for embroidery.

For a broader fabric list, read how to choose an embroidery stabilizer by fabric.

Choosing the best embroidery stabilizer for knit fabric and towels

Start with cut away for most knits, and switch to no show mesh for light-colored stretch fabric. For towels, add a water soluble topping on top, and use a sticky tear away when the piece is too bulky to hoop.

For caps, match the cap hoop to your machine first, then pick the stabilizer.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best embroidery stabilizer for knit fabric?

For most knits, a cut away stabilizer gives lasting support, because it stays in the piece after stitching. On light-colored stretch knits, a no show mesh is the better pick, since it's semitransparent and the backing won't show through the fabric.

What stabilizer should you use on towels?

Use a water soluble topping on top of the towel so stitches stay on the surface, and add a backing underneath. New brothread's sticky tear away suits bulky towels that are hard to hoop, and you rinse the topping away when the stitching is done.

Do you need a special hoop to embroider a cap?

Yes, caps need a cap hoop or cap frame, because most home machines are single-needle and flat-bed and a cap won't sit in a standard hoop. The cap hoop is usually sold separately, so check that it names your exact machine model before you buy.

Can you use sticky tear away stabilizer on hats?

New brothread names caps among the items its sticky tear away suits, along with bulky towels, cuffs and pockets. Slow the machine to about 400 stitches per minute so the adhesive doesn't gum the needle, and use a cap hoop or cap frame for hats.