Water-Soluble Stabilizer: Which Type, and How to Remove It

Guide type: Best of
Last reviewed: 2026-11-10
Sources: 11 cited
Tested by us: No. How we research

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Short answer

Pick the type by the job: a light film as a topper on towels and napped fabrics, a heavy film or a fabric-like one for free-standing lace and emblems, and an adhesive printable sheet to transfer a design or hold small items.^1,2,3,4 To remove it, trim the excess, then soak in water: from 30 seconds for a light film to 10 to 15 minutes for a heavy one, per Sulky's inserts.^5,6 Use it only on fabric that can get wet without staining.

What water-soluble stabilizer is for

A water-soluble stabilizer supports the stitches while you embroider, then rinses out, so nothing shows on either side. Brother’s PE545 manual recommends it for thin fabrics such as organdy or lawn, for napped fabrics such as terry cloth or corduroy, and on top of thick terry towels.⁸ Sulky describes its light film as a topper “on napped fabrics like towels to keep the loops or piles from poking through”.¹

It is also the base for free-standing lace: the stabilizer is the only thing holding the stitches while they are sewn, then it disappears. Sulky sells its heavy film for “computerized lace embroidery”.²

Film, heavy film, fabric-like or sticky

Water-soluble stabilizers compared, as their makers describe them
Stabilizer	Type	Weight	Main uses	Removal
Sulky Solvy	Clear film	Light⁵	Topper on towels, design template¹	30 s to 2 min in water⁵
Sulky Ultra Solvy	Film, sticks when moistened	Heavy, “Four times as firm” as Solvy²	Computerized lace, hoopless embroidery⁶	10–15 min in warm water⁶
Sulky Fabri-Solvy	Fabric-like, white	Heavy³	Topper or backing, emblems, thread lace; can be hooped alone^3,9	2–3 min in cool or warm water³
Sulky Sticky Fabri-Solvy	Fabric-like, adhesive, printable	Heavy⁴	Printed patterns, hoopless small items, toppers⁴	2–3 min in warm water⁴
Brother SA520	Clear, lightweight	Light¹⁰	Lace ornaments¹⁰	Warm water¹⁰

Soaking times are from the package inserts. Sulky's 2005 and 2010 inserts give the older put-up sizes; sizes here come from today's product pages where they differ.

Light, clear film

Sulky Solvy

Weight: light
Put-ups: 19 3/4 in × 1 yd (486-01), rolls and a bolt
Removal: trim, then 30 s to 2 min in water

Strengths

See-through, so you can trace a design
Shortest soak on Sulky's inserts: 30 s to 2 min

Drawbacks

Light: one to three layers as a backing, per the insert

Good fit: you need a see-through topper for towels or a template you can trace on.
Skip it if: you stitch dense free-standing lace: choose a heavier one.

Heavy film for lace

Sulky Ultra Solvy

Weight: heavy, four times as firm as Solvy
Put-ups: 19.75 in × 1 yd (408-01), 3 yd, rolls and a bolt
Removal: 10–15 min in warm water, rinse repeatedly

Strengths

One layer is enough for projects such as spun lace, per Sulky
Sticks to fabric when moistened

Drawbacks

Longest soak of the group
May relax in the hoop: retighten, per the insert

Good fit: you make free-standing lace or embroider without hooping the fabric.
Skip it if: the fabric can't be soaked for several minutes.

Fabric-like, hoops on its own

Sulky Fabri-Solvy

Weight: heavy
Put-ups: 20 in × 1 yd (407-01), rolls and a bolt
Removal: 2–3 min in cool or warm water

Strengths

Can be hooped alone, per Sulky
Unaffected by heat from the sewing machine bed

Drawbacks

Not see-through
Sulky's KK 2000 spray adhesive is not water-soluble: press with a warm, dry iron before washing

Good fit: you embroider emblems or appliqués directly on the stabilizer.
Skip it if: you need to see through it: it is white.

Adhesive, printable

Sulky Sticky Fabri-Solvy (printable sheets)

Format: 12 sheets of 8-1/2 × 11 in (457-02)
Printing: copier or ink-jet, light (draft) setting
Removal: cut away, then 2–3 min in warm water

Strengths

Prints in a home printer
No stabilizer left on either side after rinsing, per Sulky

Drawbacks

Some fabric finishes stop it from sticking, per Sulky
Feed one sheet at a time in some printers

Good fit: you want to print a pattern, or hold socks and small items without hooping them.
Skip it if: your printer ink bleeds or won't wash out: test first, as Sulky asks.

Light film, sold in Canada

Brother SA520

Type: clear, lightweight water-soluble
Roll: 28 × 300 cm
Removal: washes away with warm water

Strengths

Listed by Brother Canada
Clear, so you can see the fabric

Drawbacks

Small roll

Good fit: you are in Canada and need a light stabilizer for lace ornaments.
Skip it if: you stitch dense lace on it alone.

How to remove it, step by step

Sulky’s inserts follow much the same order:^3,5,6

Trim the excess around the design: cut or tear away as much as you can.
Soak for the time on the package: seconds for a light film, minutes for a heavy one.
Rinse: thoroughly for Fabri-Solvy, repeatedly for Ultra Solvy. The Solvy insert has no rinse step.
Dry flat on a towel, or iron dry under a press cloth for the light film.

Two cautions from Sulky: use these stabilizers only on fabric that can be wet without staining, and always test first.^3,6 If you plan more stitching later, Sulky suggests leaving some stabilizer in for support.⁶

Buying in Canada

Brother Canada lists the SA520.¹⁰ Sulky’s site has no Canadian section, and its shipping page gives international rates without naming Canada.¹¹

Questions

What is the best way to remove water-soluble stabilizer?

Cut away as much as you can first, then soak. Sulky gives 30 seconds to 2 minutes for Solvy, 2 to 3 minutes in cool or warm water for Fabri-Solvy, and 10 to 15 minutes in warm water for Ultra Solvy, rinsing repeatedly.^3,5,6 Fabri-Solvy dissolves faster in warm or hot water than in cool water, and warm running water works well.³

Is there a printable water-soluble stabilizer?

Yes. Sulky sells Sticky Fabri-Solvy in packs of twelve 8-1/2 × 11 in sheets (item 457-02) that go through a copier or an ink-jet printer on a light (draft) setting.⁴ Sulky asks you to test first that your ink does not bleed and washes out with the stabilizer.⁴

Is water-soluble stabilizer paper the same thing?

Not always. Sulky's Sticky Fabri-Solvy sheets are a fabric-like stabilizer cut to letter size, with an adhesive back and a release sheet.⁴ Sulky also sells Paper Solvy, which is printable and has a wood-pulp component, so it behaves like paper but still dissolves in water.⁷

Can I use water-soluble stabilizer for regular sewing?

Yes. Sulky's Solvy insert lists quilting, appliqué, buttonholes, heirloom sewing and serging among its uses, as well as embroidery.⁵

Can I iron water-soluble stabilizer?

It depends on the product. Sulky's Solvy insert allows removing it by ironing between two damp press cloths, while the Ultra Solvy insert says ironing is not recommended when you bond two layers.^5,6

Bottom line

For towel toppers and light support, a light film is enough. For free-standing lace or emblems, go heavier: a heavy film or a fabric-like stabilizer. Whatever you choose, test on the same fabric, and keep water-soluble stabilizers away from fabrics that can't get wet.

Related guides

Embroidery stabilizer: which one for each fabric

What we checked, and what we didn't

Checked

Uses, weights, put-ups and removal steps in Sulky's package inserts and product pages
Brother's advice on water-soluble stabilizer in its PE545 manual and SA520 page

Not checked

How each stabilizer behaves on your machine and fabric: we have not tested them
Sulky's inserts date from 2005 and 2010; a newer Sulky answer gives a shorter soak for Ultra Solvy (5 to 10 minutes)
Whether Sulky ships to Canada: its site names no Canadian option

Sources

Sulky Solvy Stabilizer, Clear, 19 3/4 in x 1 yd · Sulky
Sulky Ultra Solvy Stabilizer, 19.75 in x 1 yd · Sulky
Fabri-Solvy package insert (2005) · Sulky of America
Sticky Fabri-Solvy package insert (2010) · Sulky of America
Solvy package insert (2005) · Sulky of America
Ultra Solvy package insert (2005) · Sulky of America
The Stabilizer Basics: Water Solubles and Heat-Away · Sulky blog
PE545 Embroidery Machine Operation Manual (888-P30) · Brother
Sulky Fabri-Solvy Stabilizer, White, 20 in x 1 yd · Sulky
SA520 Lightweight Water Soluble Stabilizer · Brother Canada
Shipping Rates · Sulky

Revision history

2026-11-10

First version.