# Embroidery hoop



## handymama (Aug 22, 2014)

Anybody else think the plastic embroidery hoop doesn't hold tension in the fabric as well as the old wooden ones? My smaller wooden one broke, and SO got me a plastic replacement. I swear I didn't have to keep re-tightening the old one, and it's very annoying.
Am I crazy, or is this real?


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## Terri in WV (May 10, 2002)

Maybe gluing a little bit of fine grain sand paper around it will help.


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

It's not just you, the set screw loosens with all the flex in plastic. My mom used to have some more rigid ones from quilting suppliers, but I've sent them all West in favor of wood with brass fittings. ('member how they used to be so available I'd use them as frames to send off little embroideries - sigh, hard to find that quality now)

A wrap of lace hemming tape does give a little grip and give, but ...I keep my eyes peeled for wooden ones at charity thrift stores.


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## handymama (Aug 22, 2014)

Ok I'll be only buying wooden ones from now on. There's a sewing shop nearby that has them, though they're getting a bit expensive and the shops hours are weird.
They just don't make em like they used to I guess...


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

Had my first Joanne's experience today, needed a small embroidery hoop so I hei over there, 3 options. Wooden, barest semblance to a real hoop, from China gave me a sliver picking it up, has missing gaps in the wood on the inner ring. Worst I've ever seen - $3. Susan Bates, China, mid line, ok, and Clover, Japan, for $10! that has a "cover" over the screw and must weigh a quarter of a pound in a 4 3/4 inch hoop. Honest to God, it's the heaviest thing, I would never use it unless I needed a hand cramp. They're all going back to the store.

Both the plastic have this lip sticking out on top of the inner ring, like some dumb engineer's improvement. To load the fabric on the inner ring and position the outer ring over it doesn't work because the screw has to open so wide it practically falls apart.

I'm going on the hunt, but the Clover thing put a chill in my heart. And not the kind that is gonna help me embroider snowflakes on my little silk scraps!


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## Terri in WV (May 10, 2002)

These look like pretty nice hoops:

http://www.hedgehoghandworks.com/catalog/Tools_Embroidery_Hoops.php


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

Terri, thank you so much! Ordered a 4" and put the site on my favorites list - it's really got a lot of stuff, the tagline on their header is "Hard-to-find needlework supplies for needle workers, costumers and historical re-enactors" - mmmmm....

You're the best Terri!


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## FarmChix (Mar 3, 2013)

I prefer the wood ones, as well. Carried the more expensive ones at the shop. I would get some grief from the price-conscious, but in my opinion, you get what you pay for. Some things are worth paying a little more for, just to avoid the aggravation. Glad you found one.


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## CraftyLady (Jul 18, 2014)

I do a lot of embroidery. I don't use an embroidery hoop any more. I layer my traced pattern with muslin, running stitch to secure and then start working it out. I've made Hook, Line and Sinker - Crabapple Hill a Gardeners Alphabet Blocks and Zelda's Fancy Hat. 
This works for me. It does take a little getting used to. But, soon I found I was working faster and w/o the tension headaches.


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

Craftylady, I'm glad to hear another hoopless embroiderer come forth! The grief we suffer from hoop-pushers only a public knitter can appreciate.

The feedback of the tip of the needle passing over the fabric makes it easier to come back to the same hole for stem stitch. (I can't stand it when the stitching isn't solid on the back - it's just easier and faster, and you get a better line) For single stitches, I bend the fabric over my fingertip to get a plush look when the fabric is flat. Sometimes I pull the fabric on the bias to set the tension on the stitches. Hoops don't let me do all this. Plus, they are sooo sloooowwww with a chain stitch when you should be running along.

Like your way of "setting" a pattern, just got a 50's Aunt Martha "Yuletide" transfer (thought I would get some good atomic snowflakes, but not) and I think all these old things are past stamping. The horrid fat lines were always a pain anyway, but I'm still fond of those zany kitchen towel and Christmas motifs. Gonna try your way when I get to the elves!

If it weren't for using the "wrong" fabric and in small bits, I wouldn't want a hoop for this project. Also want to lay the 6 spokes of each flake (from one inch to half an inch) freehand, then couch them & pattern as I go. Darning is the only other thing I like a hoop for.


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## CraftyLady (Jul 18, 2014)

RedDirt Cowgirl said:


> Craftylady, I'm glad to hear another hoopless embroiderer come forth! The grief we suffer from hoop-pushers only a public knitter can appreciate.
> 
> The feedback of the tip of the needle passing over the fabric makes it easier to come back to the same hole for stem stitch. (I can't stand it when the stitching isn't solid on the back - it's just easier and faster, and you get a better line) For single stitches, I bend the fabric over my fingertip to get a plush look when the fabric is flat. Sometimes I pull the fabric on the bias to set the tension on the stitches. Hoops don't let me do all this. Plus, they are sooo sloooowwww with a chain stitch when you should be running along.
> 
> ...


Yes, so much faster and more accurate for me. Have you seen this site? Mary Corbet's http://www.needlenthread.com/ Lots of free use patterns. I've done a few. Very nice.


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

That's a great site! I already have it marked from the Colonial Knot thread here - think anyone could learn something interesting. Not many folks doing goldwork, they have a fabulous pomegranate project in Techniques.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

Hoopless embroidery? well, isn't that what FMQ is all about?


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## CraftyLady (Jul 18, 2014)

Macybaby said:


> Hoopless embroidery? well, isn't that what FMQ is all about?


I didn't think she was talking about machine embroidery? Was I wrong? She mentioned using a wooden hoop and from what I know about free motion - you don't use a wooden hoop in a machine. 

I thought you were talking about hand embroidery. If I was wrong. OOPs sorry for the input.

I guess I should clearify. I hand embroider w/o a hoop. I find it faster. 
When I machine embroider - sewing machine - I don't use a hoop either
When I machine quilt I don't use a hoop.


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

Huh - Handymama actually didn't say hand embroidery - but I still think there's enough hand workers that machine work is usually spelled out. (Actually, I have done some machine quilting with a wooden hand embroidery hoop.)

When I mend & embroider over holes in my gardening shirts a hoop helps me pick up & separate the area for darning & sketching, but do the stitching without it.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

Well, I do both machine and hand, and there is often a big discussion about the hoop. BTW - I'm talking vintage machine embroidery with a machine that does nothing but move the needle up and down, the operator does the rest.

I don't really care for the "hit play and walk away" type of machine embroidery - though I have seen some beautiful work done. In fact, I live so much in the vintage world that I have to remind myself that what I consider "machine embroidery" is not what most people think LOL!!


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

Very nice birch, brass fittings, 4" for $6 (Clover 4.5" was $10.99 plus tax at Joann's - wild horses couldn't drag me back there)

Best of all, it's tagged by Access Commodities, their website is a wonderment - threads, needles, everything really and serious blogs like this about hoops - who uses them when, then a roundup of what they make.
http://accesscommodities.com/posts/blog2/42

Terri, you did me a great favor!


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## Terri in WV (May 10, 2002)

You're welcome!

I haven't done embroidery for ages, but I do know the quality of the hoops that I've seen in stores is very lacking and those looked really nice.


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## Jo in PA (May 10, 2002)

I have never used a hoop to do hand embroidery. I just find one in the way.


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## Gretchen Ann (Aug 30, 2010)

Using a hoop depends on how you learned to do embroidery. My mother taught me when I was 6 and I've always used a hoop.

If you can do it without, that is great! You can embroider anywhere and when you feel like it. You aren't dependent on a tool.


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## handymama (Aug 22, 2014)

I can embroider with or without a hoop, but I feel like I'm much faster with one.


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## Debbie in Wa (Dec 28, 2007)

CraftyLady,
for some reason I am not able to visualize how you are doing the way you mentioned. Is there any way to take a photo of how you are doing this method? I love to hand embroidered but would love to learn a new way for all those small projects that use a 4 inch hoop.


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## RedHeadedTricia (Jun 20, 2006)

I know that the plastic hoops I have are a PITA!!! :flame: I have to re-tighten it every few stitches. But I don't have a way to invest in a better hoop. I would LOVE to have a seven inch one. That would work for most of my projects. :sing:

RHT


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