Machine embroidery asks a lot of fabric. Thousands of needle penetrations pull in different directions, and without support underneath, even a sturdy fabric can shift, stretch, or pucker around a design. A lightweight stabilizer solves that problem during stitching — and the best ones get out of the way cleanly when the stitching is done. That balance is exactly what a perforated sew-in stabilizer is designed to provide.
What This Product Is
Pellon® 360 EZ Stitch™ is a sew-in stabilizer, not a fusible interfacing and not a batting. It is a non-woven, lightweight stabilizer made from 100% polypropylene, sold in white on a 20" x 10 yards bolt. Pellon designed it for general machine embroidery, and it is suitable for most fabrics.
Its defining feature is its perforated construction. The perforated markings are what set EZ Stitch™ apart from a plain sew-in sheet: once your design is stitched, those perforations let you tear away the excess stabilizer easily, instead of having to cut close to your stitches or leave a stiff layer behind the whole piece.
What It Is Best For
Reach for EZ Stitch™ for general machine embroidery projects where the fabric needs support while it is under the needle, but where you do not want a permanent, heavy backing left in the finished work. Because it is lightweight and suitable for most fabrics, it is a practical everyday choice to keep on a bolt in the sewing room — you can cut off just what a design needs, whether that is a small monogram area or a larger embroidered panel.
It is especially helpful when puckering is your main worry. Unsupported fabric tends to draw up around dense stitching. A stabilizer layer holds the fabric steady so the design can form flat, and a backing that tears away cleanly afterward means removing that support does not undo the good result by tugging the finished stitches out of shape.
How to Use It
Cut a piece of stabilizer larger than your embroidery design, so the entire stitched area is supported with a margin to spare. Place it behind the fabric, on the wrong side, where the design will be stitched. Because this is a sew-in product — there is no adhesive to fuse — hold or hoop the fabric and stabilizer together as your machine and project require, keeping both layers smooth and flat before you begin. Wrinkles or slack in either layer can become puckers once stitching starts.
Stitch your design as usual. The stabilizer stays in place during embroidery, doing its job of preventing the fabric from sliding, shifting, or puckering under the needle.
When the design is complete, remove the work and gently tear away the excess stabilizer, following the perforated markings. Tear carefully and support the stitched area with your other hand as you go, so the perforations do the work rather than your stitches taking the strain. That is the point of the design: the excess comes away without pulling or puckering the stitches you just made.
Tips for a Clean Result
Always make sure the stabilizer extends beyond the design on all sides; an unsupported edge is where distortion is most likely to start. Keep both layers flat and smooth before stitching, rather than trying to correct movement midway through a design. When tearing away the excess, work slowly around detailed areas and let the perforations guide the tear. And because the bolt provides a full 10 yards at 20 inches wide, cut generously for each project — using a properly sized piece is far easier than trying to make a too-small scrap cover a design.
Quick and easy to use, EZ Stitch™ has become an embroidery favorite for a simple reason: it supports your fabric when support matters, then removes cleanly when it does not.
Shop the Pellon® 360 EZ Stitch™ Sew-In Stabilizer 20" x 10 yards Bolt. Color: White. at Linda's Electric Quilters.
