A few weeks before I packed up my workshop for the sale of our home I organized my stash and supplies. One thing that I really needed to get to was my embroidery stabilizer drawers. I have so many different weights and styles and since they are all white and most are on rolls, it's really difficult to tell them apart - especially when you haven't used them in some time.
I re-watched my Craftsy class Stablizer Savvy with Terri Hanson and got some great tips for storing and labelling the products. I pulled everything out and went through them one by one, identifying the type (sticky back, fusible, wash-away, cut-away, tear-away, sew-in, etc.) and weight (light, medium, heavy, stiff, etc.). I tidied up the scraps and edges (my dog had pretty much eaten the end of one Nancy's Notions sticky-back roll I had!), attached any instructions provided, and grouped the rolls according to use.
I added an elastic to keep them from unrolling and slipped on a paper tag with the name and, if I could identify or remember, the manufacturer of each. This method works well because you can continue to use it as the roll size diminishes and there's no need to try to get them back into flimsy or torn packaging.
The Stablizer class may seem like a less than exciting choice of Craftsy class but it has been really helpful for a beginner embroiderer like myself. It can be confusing because there are so many choices of product and Terry gives great instruction on selecting the right one. Her guidance for proper usage is amazing and has saved me a lot of frustration and the storage tips are icing on the cake!
I have all my stabilizer rolls in one drawer unit and fusible fleece, fusible web, and interfacing in another. I feel so organized and it is much easier to find and select the right stabilizer for the project. Once I get in my new space I can have everything in view and ready to go - I can't wait to show it to you!!!!
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