Not Sure How to complete embroidered border...
 

I want to use a machine embroidered border on a quilt but I don't want the embroidery to show on the backing. So I planned to embroider the borders first and then attach them, so far so good, but it is a continuous border and the stabilizer makes it pretty stiff, not at all what I am looking for...any advice regarding a softer stabilizer that could hold up to a moderately dense stitched design ( bleeding heart vine) I have tried an iron tear away but it didn't hold up well and I thought I would ask for help before I kept experimenting. Thanks!

How about wash away sttabilizer?

I have used Pellon 541 wash-n-gone. Works well, washes out with no residue. I have also used with good results OesD cut away. Very soft.
Good luck.

Do you mean border or binding? I'm not sure what a continuous border is?

I agree, wash away is perfect.

I would experiment with a light weight batting instead of stabilizer. I made some Christmas stockings one year and used a thin poly batting, no stabilizer.

You can't use tear away on cotton for dense designs as cotton is stretch and you will get puckers. you can use a poly mesh for the cutaway and float a soft tear away underneath depending on the density of the design if it is really dense you will need to use a medium cutaway and float the tearaway underneath. also if you are doing embroidery over piecing lines make sure you use a poly thread to piece with because embroidery can pop cotton stitching out. Embroidery will generally make the area stiffer regardless of the stabilizer chosen due to the thread density, unless you are doing a redwork like design or designs with minimal satin stitching. Dense designs are stiff most due to the thread in one area.

OESD has a VERY thin fusible fleece that I use for any kind of embroidery when quilting. No need for any other stabilizer and I've never had anything shift or pucker. It's wonderful stuff. But I think for what you want to do a fusible poly mesh or a regular poly mesh with a basting spray is what I would use.

Cari

Could you embroider through the border and batting after the quilt is sandwiched, with the backing folded back? Then you could smooth it back together and go on. I don't do machine embroidery, but it seems like your batting would make a good stabilizer.

hugs,
Charlotte

That would work too.

Cari