February 09, 2022

Small fleece encyclopedia - which fleece for what?

The offer is huge. But which embroidery backing do I need for what?

Do you know that?

You have planned a special embroidery project that you are doing for the first time.

You create a list of materials and suddenly you remember that you've heard of so many types of fleece.

›Oh dear, what do I need now?‹

First of all, you should know why stabilizer is necessary in the first place.

What do you need stabilizer for?

In order to be able to achieve an optimal embroidery result, embroidery fleece is required as a base.

The right stabilizer prevents the fabric from warping when embroidering and the embroidery image is clean and precise.

Fleeces are essential for very fluffy textiles such as terry cloth products and also for relatively thin fabrics.

There are fleeces for underneath and fleeces for on top .

The optimum reinforcement for every fabric

For perfect embroidery, in addition to the suitable base material and high-quality thread, you always need a stabilizing base that gets the best out of the fabric and embroidery program!

The wide range of embroidery stabilizers offers the ideal reinforcement for every material.

Whether for cutting or tearing, for temporary iron-on coating or as a self-adhesive non-woven: with a stabilizer that is tailored to the base material, you will achieve the best results in terms of quality and productivity.

Embroidery stabilizer has several names

There are several names for the embroidery stabilizer. Some call it reinforcement, others call it stabilizer. This varies from manufacturer to manufacturer.

I assume it has something to do with brand names. But that's just my guess.

Here are a few examples.

[caption id="attachment_28603" align="alignnone" width="265"]

Underlay Fleece[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_28605" align="aligncenter" width="265"] Foils_gauze

Foils_Gaze[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_28607" align="alignleft" width="272"]

Iron-On Fleece[/caption]

How is stabilizer used?

You stretch a piece of embroidery stabilizer, which is slightly larger than the motif, in your frame under the fabric. See also figure on the left.

Fleece clamped in the frame

When you have embroidered your motif, you can simply remove your corresponding fleece. Tearing, cutting or washing out are the options here, depending on the type of fleece.

Which fleece for what?

The following table should guide you through the embroidery stabilizer tangle.

Reinforcement below = what goes in the frame / under the fabric I choose the name here

Reinforcement on top = what goes on the fabric.

Fabric/ embroidery project

product examples/

Manufacturer

reinforcement below

reinforcement above

Embroidery File Type/Tips

badge	Sulky thermal film Madeira Superfilm Sulky thermal film super strong	heat soluble film
Cotton fabrics, non-stretch fabrics	Gunold Stiffy 1640 , Sulky Tear Away Plus Sulky Tear Easy Madeira Cotton Soft Squares Gunold Soft'n sheer Plus	tear-off embroidery backing	cuttable fleece	Full stick, fill stick applications, ITH file
Chiffon	Gunold Solvy Fabri Madeira Avalon Plus	water-soluble embroidery stabilizer	water-soluble embroidery stabilizer	Lace embroidery, not so dense embroidered files
Cord	Gunold Stiffy Solvy Movie Filmoplast Madeira Avalon Film Madeira Cotton Soft Sulky Filmoplast	tear-off embroidery backing self-adhesive embroidery backing	water soluble film	Full embroidery, fill stitch applications
fleece	Solvy Film Madeira Super Strong embroidery foil with spray time glue Madeira Avalon movie	cuttable stabilizer	water soluble film	Full embroidery, fill stitch, applique
terry	Solvy Embroidery Foil Madeira Cotton Soft if necessary with spray adhesive, Filmoplast Madeira Avalon Film Sulky Filmoplast	tear-off embroidery backing self-adhesive embroidery backing	water soluble film	Full embroidery, fill stitch, applications,
georgette	Solvy Fabri Madeira Avalon Plus	water-soluble embroidery stabilizer	water-soluble embroidery stabilizer	delicate embroidery, not so densely embroidered files, sandwich technique
Jeans	Gunold Stiffy 1650 Madeira Cotton Soft Sulky Tear Away Plus	tear-off fleece		Full embroidery, fill stitch, applique
jersey	Gunold Soft'n Sheer Plus Madeira Weblon Plus Madeira Weblon Stable Sulky Filmoplast BSN Iron-On	cuttable fleece self-adhesive embroidery backing iron-on embroidery stabilizer	possibly. water soluble film	Full embroidery, fill stitch, applique
linen	Gunold Stiffy 1640 Madeira Cotton Soft Sulky Tear Away Squares	tear-off fleece		delicate embroidery, not so densely embroidered files
organza	Madeira AvalonPlus Gunold Solvy Fabri	water-soluble embroidery stabilizer	water-soluble embroidery stabilizer	delicate embroideries, lightly embroidered files, lace files
velvet	Madeira Super Strong Gunold Soft'n Sheer Plus Gunold Solvy Madeira Avalon movie	cuttable stabilizer	water-soluble embroidery stabilizer	Full embroidery, fill stitch, applique
Embroider lace	Madeira Avalon Ultra Madeira AvalonPlus Gunold Solvy Movie 80 Gunold Sulky Solvy Fabri	water soluble film heat soluble film		lace files
sweater	Madeira Superstrong with spray time glue, Madeira Super Stable Filmoplast Madeira Avalon movie Gunold Solvy Embroidery Foil	cuttable fleece iron-on embroidery stabilizer	possibly. water soluble film	Full embroidery, fill stitch, applique
t shirts	see Jersey
tulle	Madeira AvalonPlus Gunold Solvy Fabric	water-soluble embroidery stabilizer	water-soluble embroidery stabilizer	delicate embroideries, not so densely embroidered files, lace files, sandwich technique

Light in the Fleece Chaos

I hope I was able to help you with this list. If something is missing, please feel free to write to me. I'll take it later.

But you don't need all fleeces to start with. I think it's enough then first of all the fleece to tear off, a foil for the top and a water-soluble fleece.

Some manufacturers also offer a starter set. I find that very practical. Take a look here, for example, at Gunold's starter set.