Preparing The Fabric; Attaching Stabilizer (Backing) To Fabric; Fabric/Stabilizer Compatibility Chart - Brother 884-T23 Operation Manual

PREPARING THE FABRIC

CAUTION
• Your machine can embroider fabric that is up
to 2 mm (5/64 inch) thick. If thicker fabric is
embroidered, the needle may bend or break.

Attaching stabilizer (backing) to fabric

In order to prevent shrinkage of the stitching or misaligned
patterns, we recommend that stabilizer (backing) be used for
embroidering.
CAUTION
• When embroidering on thin or stretch fabrics,
fabrics with a coarse weave or fabrics that
easily allow the stitching to shrink, be sure to
use stabilizer (backing) for embroidering. If
stabilizer (backing) is not used while
embroidering, the needle may bend or break
or the pattern may become misaligned.
a Using a steam iron, affix the iron-on stabilizer
(backing) to the back of the fabric.
• Use a piece of stabilizer which is larger than the
embroidery frame being used.
1 Adhesive side of iron-on stabilizer (backing)
2 Fabric (wrong side)
3 Size of the embroidery frame
Memo
• When embroidering light or open designs on thin
fabrics, such as organza or lawn, use a water-
soluble stabilizer (backing). Water-soluble
stabilizers dissolve when washed, allowing you to
create beautiful embroidery that is not stiff.
• When embroidering fabric that should not be
ironed or when embroidering an area that is difficult
to iron, hoop a layer of the stabilizer (backing)
under the fabric in the embroidery frame without
ironing it.
62

Fabric/stabilizer compatibility chart

Fabric/
Garment
Terry cloth
Satin jacket
Cotton
sheeting
Denim
a
Headwear
b
c
Dress shirt
(woven)
Golf shirt
Canton
fleece
Canvas
No. of Topping
No. of Backing Pieces
Comments
1 tear-away 1 water-soluble
Increase density and/or satin stitch width.
Fine details and small lettering tend to get
caught in the terry loops.
Heavy lining: None
Light or no lining: 1 tear- None
away
If garment slips in frame, causing alignment
problems, wrap inner frame with masking
tape or fabric bias tape. This provides a rough
surface to grip garment and also helps
minimize frame burn.
1 tear-away None
High-density or highly detailed designs may
require more backing. If so, use two pieces of
lightweight backing instead of one piece of
heavy backing.
1 tear-away None
Reduce speed if needle begins to heat up and
the thread breaks.
Optional Optional
Change needles more often than usual
because the buckram backing dulls needles
faster. A lightweight tear-away backing helps
reduce thread breaks and regulates thread
tension. Use a topping on corduroy or foam
cap fronts.
1 tear-away None
High-density or highly detailed designs may
require more backing. If so, use two pieces of
lightweight backing instead of one piece of
heavy backing.
1 cut-away or iron-on
Optional
cut-away
Use topping for designs containing small
lettering or a lot of detail, and also for piqué
knits.
1 tear-away Optional
Use a topping if the garment has a textured
surface, such as a basketweave or
pronounced twill.
1 tear-away None
Frame tightly.
Pieces