I've saved the bigger parts of mine & have sewn them back together & reused them. My hoop requires a 13" length of stabilizer so I just trim off what I don't use & re use it? Does anyone have any good ideas on this?

I sometimes use full sheet on bottom and then pieces for top layer if i need two layers,the wash away I do the same and the real small pieces put in water and mix it and use it for spray starch.Be sure to run mixture threw A strainer so it don't plug the spray bottle.

I reuse mine all the time. I don't sew them together, I just lay them on top of each other. If the pieces are really scraggly, I use them for test runs.

I never thought to do that.good idea.

Depends on what I'm embroidering and what kind of stabilizer used. Here's 2 ideas I've used:
1) After embroidering, cut the embroidery out like a donut hole from the piece of stabilizer. then you can just zigzag a patch and you're good to go
2) Depending on the orientation of your hoop and the width of the stabilizer roll, I have also just NOT CUT the stabilizer from the roll. Just roll a bit off, hoop it, then roll some more off so that the arm has full free movement. When you're done embroidering, cut the stabilizer close to the embroidery. This is not always possible, but it does save some if you can do it.

I just got my embroidery machine......and these ideas will help cause I hate to waste all of the stablizer

For the smaller pieces, I use them at my regular sewing machine to start sewing on at the beginning of seams so I avoid the nesting of thread tails.

These gals on this message board have some great ideas.....

I always save mine too...I hate to just throw it out!

what a great idea...now I will be doing this one.
it is funny how some things are so simple and another person never thinks of them.Char

Thanks for the ideas.....I bought an embroidery machine last summer and have been collecting the remnants. Now I use them and be more thrifty!!

If I can hoop it on at least two sides, I hoop it and use it. It works for me. It can be used in applique too.

I reuse my stabilizer pieces for floaters. Works great!

If you are using the clear water soluble(it looks like plastic), when I have scraps left you can put it between 2 sheets of parchment paper and iron it together(no steam) just patch it up and you can reuse for another job. I have saved a lot of money by doing this.

Thanks for the good tips. Keep them coming.

I put all the pieces to the side and if I think it looks as though one layer is not enough I find a piece that is big enough to float and for the wash away I sometimes use it as a topping

I just hate to throw stablizer away.. It is so expensive, and you have to cut a pretty big piece to fill a hoop.. so I save the different kinds of stablizer in ziplocks.. then sew the pieces together.. or I'll just stick a new piece of the hole in the old.. I use the wash away kind either by sewing it together or I disolve the pieces and stiffen something that needs it. I will also just use a piece to float under the embroidery if it needs extra stablizer... nope, don't throw anything much away.

Haven't tried this yet, but was told to take the scraps, add them to hot water and use it as starch -- possibly for making those wonky blocks true-up.

I reuse the scraps by spot basting in place on small projects. I hate to throw anything away!

Love this idea will be sure and try it on my next project.

I use the "donut hole" method for large hoops too. Cut away only what you have to, leave the remaining part hooped and just sew in the middle piece(good for when doing multiple large projects.

someone showed me how to hoop my material, set it up in your machine and place a piece of stabilizer underneath. no need to hoop a whole piece. Can stick it on the back with spray if you want to. use's up those small pieces

Depends on the type of stabilizer. If it's iron on - no need to sew, just iron pieces in where you have a hole.
For Water soluable fiberous I take and cut my WS extra large because that way I can compensate for the amount you have excess all the way around and get much more on the water soluable - thus wasting less of it. If I am floating - often times you can use excess pieces. For cut away - zig zag works. Good Luck and for sure - save that stabilizer, especially at the cost of it today!

I cut it down as close to the embroidery and save the excess for a smaller project, but I've never considered piecing it together. It is an awesome idea. Thanks for all your ideas.

I do much the same - in fact I have even taken like a 4 1/2 sq of stabilizer, marked the center, match it to the center of the fabric that will be hooped and embroidered, and lightly taped down the corners of the stabilizer where I know the pattern will not be stitching. Now that is cheap!! - but it has worked! :lol:

thanks for all the wonderful ideas!

I do the same. I also save the pieces from sticky back & try to but them up & use them. Stabilier is tooo expensive not to get the most out of the leftover pieces.

Thks nice tip!

I cut my piece alittle longer so that when the embroidery is finished the stabilizer is still long enough for to more hoopings without wasting the side pieces.

Very good ideas...I love this board.

I generally double hoop them for the next project, making sure the holes fall over or under a solid piece. If it is wash away, a little water on a paintbrush will stick them together. If I am doing a layered design, I naturally use the smallest bit that is appropriate on each layer.
The wash away crumbs can be dissolved into a fabric stiffener or glue.

Good idea. I never thought of that. I have to remember that the next time I have left overs.

This works!!! It is great to use up the scraps of it. I can't see throwing it out because they are still good sized pieces.

If They are small unusable scraps of tear or cut away they make great scratch paper, really easy to write on.

I use my leftover stabilizer pieces by spraying them with craft bond or 505 and adhere them to the piece already in the hoop (covering the hole from last project). Seems to work fine. I haven't had one problem.

I save any leftovers that are at least 3" sq. I embroider alot of napkin corners and use my smallest hoop. Needless to say, I have drawers and bins full of scraps!!
Just can't bring myself to throw them out.

i just reuse mine overlap them and that way i don't feel so bad about land fill issues

I just trim out the used part to make it neater and baste in a patch area. Works great and can use the outter edges over and over. Waste not, want not!

My mother in law said to use coffee filters for stabilizer. Maybe that works, but this machine cost me more money than I care to say so I will use stabilizer, thank you very much. I buy the iron on stabilizer at Joann's with my 40% coupon and use it to "stick" the other stabilizer onto my pieces to be embroidered. I hate the spray stuff that smells terrible and gunks up my needles. This iron on stuff does the trick and is reusable if you don't sew into it. It is also good to use a full piece to double up on stabilizer when you need it.

I save the tear away pieces, cut them into strips and use them as backing when doing borders with the built in stitches. After years of ignoring them, I'm getting more into using the built in stitches to frame the embroidery design and/or as decorative borders.