Welcome to Sew In The Know. I’m Mike, and this is where we talk about what’s happening in sewing, quilting, embroidery, and all the little things that make this world both wonderful and, let’s be honest, occasionally more complicated than it needs to be.

Sew In The Know is brought to you by SewForLess.com, a family-owned sewing and embroidery supply shop that’s been helping makers since 1981.

Which means they've seen a lot.

A lot of thread questions. A lot of stabilizer confusion. A lot of people standing in front of a shelf wondering why there are seventeen versions of something that all look exactly the same.

And honestly, I don’t blame them.

Today, we’re going to talk about a pretty unique little item in the stabilizer world.

It’s called Ricky Tims’ Stable Stuff Poly, and it’s one of those products that makes people go, “Wait… so do I tear it away, or do I leave it in?”

And the answer is… kind of both.

Helpful, I know.

So we’re going to talk about what it is, what it actually does, where you might use it, and whether it’s something worth trying — or just another product that sounds interesting until it ends up living in a drawer with the other “I’ll figure this out later” supplies.

But before we get into all of that, let’s take a quick spin around the sewing world.

And first up, the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo is headed to Dallas-Irving at the end of the month.

Now, this is the kind of event I actually like talking about because it is not just one company saying, -look at our shiny new thing.

It is classes. It is shopping. It is quilts on display. It is teachers, demonstrations, vendors, products, techniques, inspiration, and probably at least a few people walking around with a tote bag full of things they absolutely did not plan to buy.

Which, honestly, is part of the tradition.

You go in thinking, “I’m just going to look.”

Sure you are.

We support you in that fiction.

But events like this are interesting because they show you what people are actually paying attention to. Not just what manufacturers are announcing, but what so-ists are asking about. What teachers are teaching. What vendors are bringing. What products keep showing up again and again because people are still trying to solve the same problems.

And that is what I want to pay attention to.

Not just what is new.

What keeps coming back?

What are people still confused by?

What are they still trying to make easier?

Because that tells you a lot about the industry.

If there are classes on machine embroidery, that tells me people still want help getting better results.

If there are demonstrations on tools and techniques, that tells me people still want to see things in action before they believe the packaging.

And frankly, good for them.

I love a package that says something is easy. I love that journey for the package.

But I also want to see what happens when a real person uses it on real fabric with real thread and real expectations.

Because that is where sewing products either earn their keep or start looking suspicious.

Ok, so what else do we have?

We have shopping, of course. And shopping at a sewing expo is its own special kind of danger.

Because you are surrounded by people who understand you.

Nobody there thinks it is weird that you need another notion.

Nobody there questions why you are touching fabric like you are trying to hear its secrets.

Nobody there says, “Don’t you already have thread?”

Which is good, because that is not the kind of negativity we need in our lives.

But here is where I get a little opinionated.

I think sewing expos are wonderful, but they can also be overwhelming. You walk in and suddenly there are tools, stabilizers, rulers, feet, threads, hoops, gadgets, templates, patterns, kits, and products you did not know existed ten minutes ago, but now somehow feel personally responsible for owning.

And that is where I think we need a little common sense.

Not less excitement.

Not less fun.

Just a tiny voice in the back of your mind saying, “Ok, what would I actually use this for?”

That question matters.

Because a product is only useful if it solves a problem you actually have.

Otherwise, it is just another thing in the drawer judging you.

And most of us already have enough judgment coming from the drawer.

So when I look at an event like the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo, what catches my eye is not just the event itself. It is the mix of things people are still hungry for: classes, hands-on learning, product demonstrations, quilt displays, project ideas, and a chance to ask questions in person.

That tells me something important.

Even in a world full of online videos, quick tutorials, and social media tips, so-ists still want real explanation.

They want to see it.

They want to touch it.

They want someone to say, “Here is what this is, here is what it does, here is when you use it, and here is when you can probably leave it on the shelf.”

And honestly, that last part is underrated.

Because not every product belongs in every sewing room.

I know. Shocking.

Some products are amazing if you do the kind of work they were made for. Some products are useful once in a while. Some products are very impressive right up until you realize you personally have no reason to use them.

That does not make them bad.

It just means they are not your problem solver.

And that brings me to something I think we are going to do a lot on this show.

I want to talk about specific products and answer the question people are really asking:

When would I actually use this?

Not What does the package say?

Not What does the ad say?

Not “Why is everyone suddenly excited about it?”

But when would I actually pull this out, put it on the table, and use it in a real project?

Because that is where the confidence comes from.

If you know what problem a product solves, you can make a smart decision.

If you do not know what problem it solves, everything starts to sound useful.

And that is how you end up with seventeen stabilizers, six marking tools, three specialty feet, and no idea which one to use on Tuesday.

Ask me how I know.

Actually, don’t.

So instead of treating tools and products like magic, we are going to treat them like what they are: problem solvers.

Some solve big problems.

Some solve tiny annoying problems.

Some solve problems you may never personally have.

And some are wonderful, but only if you actually understand what they are supposed to do.

That is the kind of conversation I want Sew In The Know to have.

We can talk about events like the Dallas Original Sewing & Quilt Expo. We can talk about what people are shopping for, what teachers are teaching, what products keep showing up, and what trends seem to be getting attention.

But then we are going to bring it back down to the sewing room.

Because at the end of the day, I do not care how clever the tool is. If you do not know when to use it, why to use it, or what problem it solves, it is just another shiny thing with instructions you are pretending you read.

And I say that with love.

...Mostly.

So today, let’s use this as our starting point.

The next time you see a product that looks interesting, whether it is at an expo, in a shop, online, or in somebody’s video where everything magically works on the first try, pause for a second and ask:

What problem does this solve?

Do I have that problem?

And would this make my sewing easier, cleaner, faster, or more enjoyable?

If the answer is yes, wonderful.

If the answer is no, you are allowed to admire it and walk away.

That is legal.

No one tells you that, but it is.

And that is really where we are headed with this show. We are going to talk about the industry, but we are also going to translate it into normal sewing-room language.

What is this?

When do you use it?

When do you not use it?

And is it actually helpful, or is it just making you feel like you are behind?

Because new is fun.

Useful is better.

And actually, let’s do that right now.

Because if we’re going to talk about products as problem solvers, then we should probably pick one and ask the real question:

When would I actually use this?

So let’s talk about Ricky Tims’ Stable Stuff Poly.

Now, this is one of those products that can sound a little confusing at first, because it is kind of a tearaway… and kind of not.

Which is a very sewing-product thing to be.

It is a nonwoven polyester stabilizer. You can tear it away if you want to, but you can also leave it in the project. And that “or not” part is really what makes it interesting.

Because regular paper foundations usually have to come out. And if you have ever sat there picking tiny bits of paper out of seams, you know that is not exactly the glamorous part of quilting.

Nobody posts that part on Instagram.

Stable Stuff Poly can be used in some of those same situations, but instead of having to remove every bit of it, it can stay inside the quilt. It does not dissolve, so let’s be clear about that. This is not water-soluble stabilizer. But when it gets wet, it softens and breaks down into a very fine layer of polyester fibers that can live inside the project.

So when would you actually use it?

Well, the obvious use is machine embroidery. You can use it behind hooped embroidery to support the fabric while the machine is stitching. Then, when you’re finished, you can tear away the extra if you want to.

But I think the more interesting uses are on the quilting side.

You can use it under machine applique, especially if you’re doing decorative stitches around the edges. And decorative stitches, bless them, do need support. They like to act fancy, but they are not always independent.

You can also use it under decorative stitching in general, because if you want those stitches to look clean instead of pulled, wobbly, or sunken into the fabric, stabilizer matters.

Ok, so what else do we have?

Applique.

For hand needle-turn applique, some people use paper or freezer paper to prepare their shapes. Stable Stuff Poly gives you another option because it can stay inside the applique. You do not have to cut open the back and remove paper later.

And any time a product lets me avoid a tiny surgical procedure on the back of my project, I am at least willing to listen.

Another big use is printing.

The sheets can go through a printer one at a time, so you can print paper-piecing designs, applique shapes, quilting designs, or other templates right onto the product.

And for paper piecing, that is where this gets interesting. Instead of doing all your stitching and then tearing paper away from every little seam, you may be able to leave the Stable Stuff Poly in the quilt.

Again, it does not dissolve. It softens. That distinction matters.

But for the right project, that can be really useful.

Now, one of the cleverest uses is quilt marking.

Instead of marking directly on the quilt top with a pen, pencil, chalk, marker, or whatever tool you are currently trying to trust, you can print the quilting design onto Stable Stuff Poly, place it on the back of the quilt top, and stitch over it with water-soluble thread.

So as you stitch, the bobbin thread is basically marking the design on the quilt top.

And I actually love that idea.

Because free-motion quilting is one of those things where your brain says, “Yes, I know this shape,” and then your hands immediately say, “We have never met this shape before in our lives.”

So this lets you practice the motion while also marking the quilt.

That is clever.

And then there is machine trapunto, which uses a similar idea, but with an extra layer of batting. You stitch the design, trim away the extra batting, and then finish building the quilt sandwich.

So what is my take?

I like this product for quilters who do applique, paper piecing, decorative stitching, quilt marking, machine embroidery, or trapunto.

I especially like it for people who want something printable that does not necessarily have to be removed later.

But I would not describe it as magic.

And I think that is important.

It is not water-soluble stabilizer. It is not regular paper. It is not a cure for every stabilizer problem in your sewing room.

It is a very useful product when you understand what it is doing.

And that is the whole point of this segment.

Not “you need this.”

Not “everyone should buy this.”

But: here is what it is, here is what it solves, and here is when it might actually earn a place in your sewing room.

Because a product is only useful if it solves a problem you actually have.

Otherwise, congratulations.

You have adopted another supply.

Alright, that does it for this episode of Sew In The Know.

We talked a little industry news, wandered through the sewing world a bit, and even managed to look at a real product without completely losing the thread.

Pun slightly intended.

In future episodes, we’ll keep digging into stabilizers, needles, thread, hooping, fabric, machine embroidery problems, and all the little things that make projects either behave beautifully… or act like they were raised in a barn.

If you have questions, comments, ideas for future episodes, or a product you want me to talk about, leave it in the comments.

And criticism is welcome too.

Kind of.

But seriously, sound off below. I’ll be reading through your comments, and I’ll try to address some of them in the next episode.

Thanks for listening, thanks for sewing along, and I’ll see you next time on Sew In The Know.