Stop Stabilizer “Walking” in the Hoop: Martyn Smith’s Pinning Trick + Smarter Stabilizer Choices for Cleaner ITH Blocks

If you have ever watched an In-The-Hoop (ITH) design start perfectly—the placement stitch is crisp, the fabric lays flat—only to finish with outlines that miss the mark by 2mm, wrinkles radiating from the center, or that sinking "why did it shift?" feeling, take a breath. It is not your fault, and 90% of the time, your machine is not "broken."

The culprit is almost always physics. Specifically, the battle between the needle’s drag and the stabilizer’s grip.

Martyn Smith from Sweet Pea Machine Embroidery teaches a stabilizer-and-batting workflow that turns this battle into a manageable process. As someone who has spent two decades troubleshooting embroidery lines, I can tell you: his method for consistency is industry-standard logic applied to the home studio.

Below, I have rebuilt his masterclass into a shop-ready "Standard Operating Procedure" (SOP) you can follow on your next quilt block, runner, or 3D bag project.

The Calm-Down Check: When ITH Registration Errors Aren’t Your Machine at All

Registration errors—where the final satin outline lands next to the shape instead of on it—often happen because the stabilizer slowly "walks" or creeps toward the center of the hoop under the tension of thousands of stitches.

Martyn mentions receiving emails from customers convinced the design file is corrupted. However, photos usually reveal the truth: subtle wrinkles in the stabilizer near the frame, indicating it was pulled inward. This is a physics problem, not a software problem.

The Mindset Shift: Treat your stabilizer as a structural foundation (like the concrete slab of a house), not just a disposable napkin you tear away later. If the foundation moves 1mm, the roof (your top stitching) moves 1mm.

Warning: Pins, needles, rotary cutters, and scissors are severe injury risks around a running embroidery machine. A machine moving at 600-1000 stitches per minute (SPM) will not stop if your hand is in the way. Never reach into the hoop area while stitching. Keep pins strictly outside the needle path—hitting a pin can shatter a needle, sending metal shrapnel flying toward your eyes.

The “Hidden” Prep Martyn Actually Uses: Consistency Beats Guesswork Every Time

Martyn’s philosophy for his Essentials range is consistency. He was tired of ordering "medium weight" stabilizer from random suppliers and receiving different textures every time. In embroidery, variables are the enemy. Whether you use his brand or another, the goal is to use the exact same setup until you get a predictable result.

Here is the preparation workflow that experienced stitchers use (and beginners usually skip):

Prep Checklist: The "Mise-en-place"

• Define the Project: Is it a soft quilt block, a rigid table runner, or a structural 3D bag?
• Select Consumables:
  • Stabilizer: Mesh (light), Tear-away (temporary), or Cut-away (permanent).
  • Batting: Low-loft viscose (for drape) or Bag Stiffener (for structure).
  • Needle Check: Is your needle fresh? (Rule of thumb: Change every 8 hours of stitching or 1-2 full projects).
  • Adhesive: Have your temporary spray adhesive (e.g., 505 or similar) ready for floating layers.
• Uniform Cutting: Pull enough stabilizer for the entire project now. Plan to cut it in the same direction from the roll every time to maintain grain consistency.
• Hardware Prep: Gather strong pins (Millinery pins, large quilt pins, or T-pins) or prepare your magnetic hoop if available.

A quick note regarding the "cut it the same way" tip: Just like wood has grain, non-woven stabilizers often have a "direction of pull." Consistency here prevents one quilt block from shrinking North-South while the next shrinks East-West.

Low-Loft Viscose Batting: How to Get Quilt Drape Without Bulky ITH Seams

Martyn explains batting as the "fluffiest stuff" inside your project sandwich. For ITH quilting, standard high-loft polyester cloud-like batting is a nightmare—it creates massive bulk in the seams. Martyn advocates for low-loft viscose batting.

The Sensory Check:

• Visual: It looks flat, almost like a thick craft felt.
• Tactile: It feels silky and drapes over your hand like fabric, not stiff like cardboard.
• Structure: It has a "scrim" (a thin binder layer) that stabilizes the fibers.

Why Scrim Matters: One of the most frustrating issues in quilting is "bearding" or "whiskering"—where tiny white fibers from the batting migrate up through the needle holes and appear on your dark fabric. A scrim acts as a net, trapping those fibers inside so your black fabric stays black.

If you are shopping for generic alternatives, the takeaway is: look for "Needled Batting" or "Low Loft" with a scrim. You want soft drape, not pillow-fluff.

The Layer Stack That Keeps ITH Blocks Flat: Stabilizer → Batting → (Optional) Bag Stiffener

The order of operations is critical for flat blocks. Martyn’s layering hierarchy is:

1. Bottom: Stabilizer (Hooped).
2. Middle: Batting (Floated/Tacked).
3. Top (Optional): Bag Stiffener (Floated/Tacked under the batting).

Then comes the "Golden Rule" of ITH quilting that prevents bulky, amateurish joins:

Trim the batting back to the perimeter seam so it is NOT included in the joining seam allowance.

Most ITH designs have a "tack down" stitch for the batting. Once stitched, you must take your appliqué scissors and trim the batting as close to that stitch as possible before adding your main fabric. If you leave quilt batting in the 1/4 inch seam allowance, your final joined quilt will have thick, lumpy ridges at every intersection.

Setup Checklist: The "Pre-Flight" Check

• Hoop Tension: Tap the stabilizer. It should sound like a tight drum ("thump-thump"), not a loose rattle.
• Trim Check: Batting and stiffener are trimmed precisely to the tack-down line.
• Seam Clearance: Verify no batting extends into the future seam allowance area.
• Hoop Size: Ensure you are using the smallest hoop that fits the design (e.g., don't use a 8x12 hoop for a 4x4 design unless necessary) to maximize stability.
• Bobbin Check: Do you have enough bobbin thread to finish the block? (Check visual window or percent remaining).

Bag Stiffener (Bag Tex): The Sweet Spot Between “Stands Up” and “Turns Inside Out”

For 3D items—bottle carriers, handbags, purses—you need structure. However, there is a fine line between "structure" and "impossible to work with."

Martyn describes his specific bag stiffener as having the weight of three layers of medium cut-away (approx 240-250 GSM total), yet remaining pliable.

The "Crush Test": Martyn demonstrates crushing a finished bottle carrier in his hand.

• Bad Result: It stays crushed or crinkles like paper (too stiff/wrong material).
• Good Result: It bounces back into shape immediately (structural memory).

The Turn-Through Reality: Many beginners use heavy foam-based stabilizers. While they look great standing still, turning a foam-lined bag inside out through a small lining gap is physically painful and can rip your seams. If you struggle with hand strength or arthritis, avoid rigid foams. Choose a felt-like stiffener that compresses while you turn the bag, then expands back to shape.

The “Test Block” Habit That Saves Your Best Fabric (and Your Mood)

Martyn openly admits to the necessity of testing. In my workshops, I call this "The Rule of One." Never commit to cutting fabric for a 20-block quilt until you have successfully stitched one test block.

A test block answers the sensory questions software cannot:

• Drape: Does it feel like a blanket or a placemat?
• Relief: Are the "valleys" of the quilting deep enough?
• Sound: Did the stabilizer sound "crunchy" when handled? (Cheap tear-away often crunches; good viscose/mesh is silent).

Martyn’s team stitches a sample of nine blocks to verify consistency when materials change. You only need to stitch one. Use scrap muslin if you don't want to waste expensive cotton, but use the actual stabilizer and batting you plan to use for the final project.

Tear-Away Stabilizer vs 80 GSM Medium Cut-Away: The Real-World Use Cases Martyn Mentions

For 90% of general embroidery, an 80 GSM (approx 2.5 oz) Medium Cut-Away is the "holy grail" stabilizer. It supports high stitch counts (10,000+) without distorting.

However, Martyn defends the humble Tear-Away for specific architectural uses:

1. Freestanding Projects: Items like coasters where you want clean edges without cutting.
2. Zipper Insertion: This is the pro tip. When installing a zipper ITH, you often need to slice the stabilizer to open the zipper teeth.

The "Zipper Risk": When using tough cut-away behind a zipper, you have to use a sharp blade to slice it open. One slip, and you slice the zipper tape or your fabric. Martyn admits, "I've done it many times." Tear-away allows you to gently puncture and tear the backing open, removing the risk of the knife altogether.

“Light as a Feather” Mesh Stabilizer: How to Avoid Stretch-Then-Shrink Wrinkles

Martyn’s "Light as a Feather" mesh stabilizer is crucial for soft quilts. Heavy stabilizer equals a heavy, stiff quilt.

The Physics of Mesh: Not all mesh is created equal. Some cheap nylon meshes are essentially pantyhose—they stretch in all directions. If you hoop a stretchy mesh tightly, you stretch the fibers open. As you stitch, you lock that stretch in. When you un-hoop, the mesh tries to return to its original size (shrinking), pulling the fabric with it and creating "pucker wrinkles" around your design.

The Visual Check: Look for a mesh that is "No-Show" (semi-opaque) but dimensionally stable.

• Test: Grab a corner and pull. It should resist. If it stretches like elastic, do not use it for a dense quilt block. It will warp.

The Grain-Direction Rule That Makes Quilt Blocks Join Cleanly: Cut Stabilizer “Portrait” Down the Roll

This variable catches almost every beginner. This is the tip that made commenters say, "I did not know about cutting the stabilizer the same way."

The Rule: Stabilizer is manufactured on massive rollers. The fibers are often oriented in the direction of the roll. This means the shrink/stretch rate is different lengthwise ("Portrait") than widthwise ("Landscape").

• Bad Workflow: Cutting pieces randomly to save scrap. Block A shrinks 1% vertically; Block B shrinks 1% horizontally. They will never square up.
• Good Workflow: Always cut your sheets "North-South" down the roll. Even if shrinkage happens, it happens uniformly to every block, so they all still match perfectly.

The Pinning Trick That Stops Stabilizer Pull-In (and Saves Your Registration)

When using lightweight mesh or slippery stabilizers, hoop friction alone is often not enough. As the needle pounds the fabric, it microscopically tugs the stabilizer toward the center. Over 20 minutes, this equals a 2-3mm shift.

Martyn’s Mechanical Lock:

1. Hoop as normal.
2. Secure the perimeter: Insert pins through the stabilizer and fabric outside the sewing field, right up against the inner edge of the frame.
3. Reinforce the weak spots: The long sides of a rectangular hoop are flexible and prone to bowing inward. Use 2-3 pins on the long sides (6 pins total per hoop).

This creates a physical barrier that stops the "walking" effect.

Operation Checklist: The Final Safety Pass

• Pin Safety: Verify visually that all pins are heads-out or flush against the frame, at least 1 inch away from the traveling needle path.
• Tension Check: Tap the center. Even tension? No "sagginess" on the long sides?
• Path Check: Use your machine's "Trace" or "Check Size" function to ensure the foot won't hit a pin.
• Tail Management: Are thread tails trimmed so they don't get sewn over?

Quick Troubleshooting Map: Symptom → Cause → Fix (Straight from the Class)

When Your Hands Are Tired of Hooping: A Practical Upgrade Path for Speed and Consistency

Martyn’s class focuses heavily on technique, which is the correct place to start. However, if you are moving from hobby to production—making 20 table runners for a holiday craft fair—technique alone may not save your wrists.

The bottleneck in most studios is the physical act of hooping. The repetitive strain of tightening screws and forcing inner rings into outer rings causes fatigue. When you are tired, your hooping quality drops, and registration errors return.

Level 1: The Stability Upgrade If you struggle with slipping frames, a hooping station for machine embroidery acts as a third hand. It holds the outer hoop fixed in place, allowing you to use both hands to smooth the stabilizer and align the fabric. This is the first step toward repeatability.

Level 2: The Fast-Change Upgrade If you are fighting "hoop burn" (shiny crush marks on delicate fabric) or simply hate the screw-tightening process, many professionals upgrade to magnetic embroidery hoops. These use powerful magnets to sandwich the fabric without forcing it into a recess. This eliminates hoop burn and significantly speeds up the workflow for ITH projects where you constantly float layers.

Level 3: The Production Standard For shops doing volume, terms like hoopmaster become part of the daily vocabulary. A specialized system like the hoopmaster hooping station ensures that the logo is in the exact same spot on Shirt #1 as it is on Shirt #50.

If you are a Brother user specifically, you might search for a brother 5x7 magnetic hoop to replace the standard friction hoop for your most common ITH block sizes.

Warning: Magnetic Safety
Magnetic hoops contain industrial-grade neodymium magnets. They are incredibly strong.
* Pinch Hazard: They can snap together instantly—keep fingers clear.
* Medical Risk: Keep them at least 6 inches away from pacemakers or insulin pumps.
* Electronics: Keep away from credit cards, phones, and computerized machine screens.

A simple decision tree: choose stabilizer + support based on what you’re making

• Scenario A: Soft Quilt / Baby Blanket
  • Stabilizer: No-Show Mesh (Light/Stable) + Edge Pinning.
  • Batting: Low-Loft Viscose.
  • Goal: Maximum drape, minimal stiffness.
• Scenario B: Wall Hanging / Table Runner
  • Stabilizer: Medium Cut-Away (80 GSM).
  • Batting: Low-Loft Viscose (for texture).
  • Goal: Flatness, sharp corners, no distortion.
• Scenario C: 3D Bottle Carrier / Purse
  • Stabilizer: Medium Cut-Away.
  • Structure: Bag Stiffener (Felt-like).
  • Goal: Self-supporting structure that can still be turned inside out.
• Scenario D: In-The-Hoop Zipper Pouch
  • Stabilizer: Tear-Away (behind the zipper area).
  • Goal: Safe removal of backing without cutting/damaging the zipper tape.

The “Why” Behind Martyn’s Best Advice: Control Stretch, Control Grain, Control Results

After analyzing Martyn's method, the summary is simple: Embroidery quality is the sum of tiny mechanical controls.

You control the stretch by choosing a stable mesh. You control the grain by cutting stabilizer in the "Portrait" direction every time. You control the movement by pinning the perimeter.

None of this requires a more expensive machine. It requires disciplined handling.

However, if you are looking to scale your output, tools that enforce this discipline are worth the investment. An integrated magnetic hooping station or a standardized hoop master embroidery hooping station setup reduces the human variable. It transforms "Is this hoop tight enough?" into a simple "Click."

A final note on availability and shipping (from the comments)

A few practical logistical questions appeared in the video comments that are worth noting for planners:

• "Light as a Feather" Stock: Viewers noted this stabilizer goes out of stock frequently. (Pro Tip: If you find a mesh you like that passes the "Stretch Test," buy a bolt, not a packet).
• Shipping: Martyn’s channel confirmed they ship from Texas to USA customers, which is relevant if you are working on a deadline and estimating material arrival.

FAQ

• Q: How can home embroidery users diagnose ITH registration errors when the final satin outline is off by 2–3mm even though the placement stitch started perfectly?
  A: Most ITH registration shifts are stabilizer “walking” inward under stitch drag, not a broken machine or corrupt file.
  • Inspect the hooped stabilizer edge for subtle inward wrinkles or creep toward the center.
  • Pin the stabilizer and fabric perimeter right against the inner hoop edge, staying outside the sewing field (add extra pins on the long sides of rectangular hoops).
  • Run the machine “Trace/Check Size” function to confirm the presser foot will not contact any pins.
  • Success check: the stabilizer stays flat at the frame with no new wrinkles forming near the inner edge during stitching.
  • If it still fails: switch to a more dimensionally stable stabilizer choice for the project (stable mesh or 80 GSM medium cut-away, depending on stiffness needs).
• Q: What is the correct ITH layer stack order for quilting blocks to prevent wrinkles and bulky joins in home embroidery projects?
  A: Use the stack Stabilizer (hooped) → Batting (floated/tacked) → Optional bag stiffener (floated/tacked under batting), and trim batting out of the seam allowance.
  • Hoop the stabilizer first as the foundation layer.
  • Tack down batting, then trim batting right back to the tack-down/perimeter seam line before adding main fabric.
  • Add bag stiffener only when structure is needed, and keep it controlled under the batting.
  • Success check: joined seams feel flat without lumpy ridges at intersections.
  • If it still fails: re-check that no batting extends into the future seam allowance area.
• Q: How can home embroidery users judge correct hoop tension for ITH quilting so stabilizer does not slip during 10,000+ stitches?
  A: Hoop the stabilizer to a “tight drum” tension and use the smallest hoop that fits the design to maximize stability.
  • Tap-test the hooped stabilizer before stitching to confirm a firm “thump,” not a loose rattle.
  • Choose the smallest hoop size that still fits the design instead of oversizing the frame.
  • Verify the long sides of rectangular hoops are not sagging or bowing inward.
  • Success check: the stabilizer surface feels evenly taut with no soft zones on the long sides.
  • If it still fails: add perimeter pinning outside the sewing field to mechanically lock the stabilizer to the frame.
• Q: How do home embroidery users stop wrinkles around ITH designs caused by cheap mesh stabilizer stretching during hooping and shrinking after unhooping?
  A: Do not stretch mesh while hooping, and only use a dimensionally stable “no-show” style mesh that resists elastic pull.
  • Pull-test the mesh before committing: if it stretches like elastic, do not use it for dense quilt blocks.
  • Hoop the mesh taut but not stretched open (avoid “over-tightening” by force).
  • Keep the setup consistent across blocks so shrink behavior (if any) is uniform.
  • Success check: after stitching and unhooping, the block surface shows no new pucker wrinkles radiating around the design.
  • If it still fails: switch to an 80 GSM medium cut-away for more resistance, especially on higher stitch-count blocks.
• Q: When should home embroidery users choose tear-away stabilizer instead of 80 GSM medium cut-away for ITH zipper pouches and freestanding projects?
  A: Use tear-away when clean removal matters or when backing must be opened safely around a zipper, and use 80 GSM medium cut-away for heavy stitch support.
  • Use tear-away for freestanding items (like coasters) where you want clean edges without cutting.
  • Use tear-away behind zipper areas so the backing can be punctured and torn open instead of sliced with a blade.
  • Use 80 GSM medium cut-away for most general embroidery when stitch counts are high and distortion control is critical.
  • Success check: zipper tape remains intact with no accidental knife cuts during backing removal.
  • If it still fails: confirm the project area truly requires opening the backing; if yes, keep tear-away just in the zipper zone.
• Q: What needle-and-pin safety rules should home embroidery users follow when pinning stabilizer to prevent ITH registration shift on a running embroidery machine?
  A: Never place hands near the needle while stitching, and keep pins strictly outside the traveling needle path to prevent needle strikes and injury.
  • Insert pins only outside the sewing field, right against the inner hoop edge, with heads oriented safely and visibly.
  • Run “Trace/Check Size” before stitching to ensure the foot path clears every pin.
  • Keep scissors, rotary cutters, and loose tools away from the moving hoop area during operation.
  • Success check: the machine traces the full design boundary without contacting any pin or obstruction.
  • If it still fails: remove pins and use an alternative holding method (for example, re-hoop for higher friction or use a hooping aid) rather than risking a pin strike.
• Q: What is the safe, step-by-step upgrade path when home embroidery users keep getting ITH fabric shift, hoop burn, and slow hooping speed on multiple projects per week?
  A: Start by improving stability technique, then move to faster, lower-marking hooping tools, and only then consider production-grade output upgrades.
  • Level 1 (Technique): standardize consumables, hoop tension, grain-consistent stabilizer cutting direction, and perimeter pinning to stop stabilizer creep.
  • Level 2 (Tooling): switch to magnetic embroidery hoops when hoop burn or screw-tightening fatigue is the bottleneck and frequent floating/tacking is slowing work.
  • Level 3 (Production): move to a multi-needle production workflow when volume demands repeatable placement and higher throughput beyond manual hooping capacity.
  • Success check: repeated blocks land with consistent outline-to-fill alignment across multiple runs without increasing operator fatigue.
  • If it still fails: reduce variables by running a single test block using the exact stabilizer/batting planned for production before scaling to a full batch.
• Q: What magnetic embroidery hoop safety precautions should home embroidery users follow to prevent finger injuries and device interference?
  A: Treat magnetic hoops as industrial-strength magnets and manage pinch and medical/electronics risks before every use.
  • Keep fingers clear when magnets snap into place to avoid pinch injuries.
  • Keep magnetic hoops at least 6 inches away from pacemakers or insulin pumps.
  • Store and handle magnetic hoops away from phones, credit cards, and computerized machine screens.
  • Success check: the hoop closes under control with no sudden “slam” near fingers or sensitive devices.
  • If it still fails: switch back to a standard hoop for that session and reintroduce magnetic hoops only after improving handling space and grip control.