I made my daughter tees for work and they aren't stiff. First of all I go in and reduce the stitch count as much as possible. Then I use a tearaway mesh that is so soft you wouldn't even think of it as stabilizer; its from floriani or RNK distributing and I use a wash away or tear away on the top to keep the stitches sitting up on top of the fabric.They don't have to be stiff and I wouldn't wear any that were. Try Hatched in Africa for designs that stitch out really nice, even great for a baby. If you go to RNK's website they have a stabilizing workbook to help you know what to use and when.