Question regarding applique?
 

I,ve started doing applique, and was wondering if you have to use a stabilizer.
I seem to be OK without it but have read that you should. Please let me know
the answer to this. Thanks.
Elaine

Thanks Tartan for reminding me. I forgot to mention that I,m doing raw edge on the machine.

You need a stabilizer IF you find your background fabric is wrinkling, pulling in. If that's not happening you are fine. I never satin stitch anything, hate that hard rigid outline. Sometimes a smaller needle ( or a new sharp needle) will fix a problem too. Stabilizer can come in handy but is certainly not a Requirement.

Instead of using a stabilizer, I heavily starch the background fabric (1:1 solution of Sta-Flo liquid laundry starch and water). This prevents the background from puckering or distorting while I sew around the applique. If you have not pre-washed your background fabric, there may still be enough sizing in the fabric to stabilize it for machine applique.

It depends. Blanket/buttonhole & straight stitching don't need stabilizer. Decorative stitches & satin stitches form better with stabilizer. If you don't want the added stiffness, you can always use wash away stabilizer. Also, if you only do appliqué after your quilt is sandwiched, you shouldn't need stabilizer even with dense stitching.

I have never needed to do a stabilizer. I normally just do the buttonhole stitch.

Any stitch that goes beyond the edge of the applique, such as a wider zigzag, will draw up the background fabric and pucker. There really is no way to press that out either. I find that a blanket stitch tight up against the applique or a tight zigzag, and the straight stitch just inside the edge don't require stabilizer so that is what I usually do.

I use a fusible with raw edge applique rather than a stabilizer.

I'm with Genden, every raw edge applique I have done uses fusible. I think the fusible is necessary to keep it from pulling away from the background.