A stabilizer is a foundation that supports your fabric during embroidery, preventing puckering, stretching, and distortion. Using the correct PFAFF® stabilizer is the key to achieving crisp, professional-quality embroidery results on your creative™ machine.

PFAFF® offers the essential types of stabilizers: Cut-Away provides permanent support for unstable knit fabrics, Tear-Away is easily removed from stable woven fabrics, and Wash-Away dissolves in water, perfect for freestanding lace or toppings on plush fabrics.

The choice depends on your fabric and design density. Use Cut-Away for knits, Tear-Away for wovens like cotton or denim, and Wash-Away as a topping for towels or for delicate fabrics. A heavier stabilizer is needed for a design with a high stitch count.

A topping is a type of wash-away stabilizer that is placed on top of textured fabrics like terry cloth or fleece. It prevents the embroidery stitches from sinking into the fabric pile, ensuring your design looks crisp and well-defined.

Yes, stabilizers can be very useful for general sewing. You can use a strip of tear-away stabilizer to reinforce buttonholes on delicate fabrics or to prevent stretching when sewing a seam on a bias-cut edge.