I am sewing LOTS of bears to donate and have got the assembly line thing figured out pretty good to speed up production. I have had a design digitized by a friend that does the face and little foot pads and also stitches a basting outline where I cut the pattern. (it's a two piece bear) I got this so I can take the 4 yards of fabric and move it along hoop space by hoop space without cutting the fabric. When I get the entire 4 yards done I will lay that face down on the other four yards and use the basting outline to cut them out, stitch them up and toss them in the basket to turn and stuff when I need to take a break from sitting and get my feet up. This is my question. I've done a few of these as a test with regular heavy tear away stabilizer, this worked great. Mostly because that's what I have on hand and this is a donated thing and my budget (I'm on social security disability now) is tight. One of those more time than money situations. What can I use that's cheap and available for a stabilizer. I have seen people here talk about using paper tape from adding machines, can I use regular typing paper under the fabric in the hoop, I was given a few reams of legal sized paper for my printer. I'm using the 150 X 240 hoop in my Viking Designer 1. What about a roll of freezer paper or brown kraft paper, I have that on hand too. Will the paper dull needles at too fast a rate or the fabric slide around? The bears are out of flannel I got on sale at Joann's, sort of a light weight like what you'd make pajamas out of. I've prewashed it twice and run it through my mangle iron. I hate to think about starching it since I want them soft and cuddly to the feel.
Any suggestions on how to inexpensively stabilize this without having to buy more stabilizer would sure be appreciated.
Val