These are a less temporary way to stitch as you sew the fabric you're embroidering on to the scroll frame to keep it taut. Scroll frames are traditionally used for cross stitch, but they can be used for embroidery too! These are perfect for really large pieces. I am always knotting and checking the back of my work, so I find them frustrating to use at times! The one downside to these hoops is that they are tedious to flip over. This allows you to embroider without holding the hoop!
One hoop sits on your lap, while you stitch on the other one. These hoops are double sided and come with long supports to place between the two hoops. Plastic clamps secure the fabric to the plastic frame around the edges. They are essentially a square frame made of PVC. The most common of these is the Q-Snap Frame. Among these are snap frames, double lap hoops, and scroll frames. In addition to the standard plastic and wooden hoops, there are a few other types of frames and hoops out there. (We talk about blocking in Lesson 8!) The fabric can also become VERY stretched, meaning the tension will be off in the later parts of the project. This can cause creases in the fabric that are near impossible to remove unless you block it. When you're working on a project (especially if the final embroidery will be flat!), try to avoid leaving it in the hoop for an extended period of time. The pain can last for quite a while in my experience, so try to use a 6 inch hoop or attach a larger hoop to a hoop stand.ĭon't Leave Embroideries in the Hoop for More Than a Couple Days This almost always led to what I like to call "claw hand" - where the hand that's holding the hoop gets crazy painful cramps and is essentially useless for a while. When I was first starting out, I kept making large embroidery patterns and then stitching them in 8 and 10 inch hoops. Large hoops are very hard on your hands and can cause cramping. When I say huge hoop, I mean 8 inches and up. :)Īs I've said before, huge hoops are hard to use long term. I normally go the alcohol route because it's easy and fast!įor wooden hoops, giving it a quick swipe with rubbing alcohol is best. To clean plastic hoops, you can use soap and water or wipe them down with rubbing alcohol. This can leave a visible ring when you remove your embroideries from a dirty hoop. The oils from your hands transfer to the hoop, which can then pick up dust and dirt. Hoops catch a lot of grime as you stitch. This method gives you a little more leverage so it's perfect for embroideries with lots of detail or circular borders that need to be close to perfect. Hold the hoop down on the surface with one hand while you pull the fabric with the other. If you're struggling to get an embroidery pattern or stitching stretched evenly and tightly in the hoop, flip the hoop over and pull that way! As you can see, the "back" of your embroidery is now on the raised part of the hoop. :DĪlso, if you're curious about the "other" way to mount fabric in a hoop, this is what that looks like. Does it sound like a drum? If so, you're good to go. Strike a couple of fingers against the fabric. Tighten the nut the rest of the way while continuing to make sure the fabric is staying taut everywhere. Place your fabric over the inner ring and center your pattern in the middle of the ring.įurther loosen the nut on the outer ring so it can easily fit around the inner ring, and press the outer ring over the inner ring.īegin to gently pull at the fabric, moving all the way around the hoop, so the embroidery pattern remains centered and the fabric becomes taut. Lay the inner ring down on your work surface (lip facing up if it has one). Loosen the nut at the top of the hoop and separate the inner and outer rings. Here's a photo to show the lip of the hoop: I prefer to keep the lip on the top side of my hoop - I suggest trying that way first. You assemble both the same way - the only thing to worry about is if you'd like the lip on the top or bottom of the hoop. Hoops with a lip are often made of plastic. There are two types of hoops: flat and lipped.