Hooping How To

Embroidery Stabilizers and Threads... Florianni... The name that means beautiful embroidery.

Many customers have asked how I stabilize and hoop to get best results for sewing out my designs. I get excellent results with no fabric stretching or slippage. The method below is what I have used for myself the last six years.

Please understand, this is strictly a demonstration of what I have found works for me during the last six years. This is not to be construed as a recommendation that you use my method. If you choose to try the same method, I am not responsible for your individual results or for your machine. Everyone needs to use whatever method works best for them and their machine. Scroll down for pictures and step-by-step description.

I use good quality supplies. Don't skimp or use substitutes and then wonder why your machine is damaged and designs do not sew out well. You've invested in expensive equipment and purchased designs, so use products designed for your machines. How frustrating to sew out a design and then have an outline off or gaps in the fills.

I use a sticky-back stabilizer. This can be a regular stick-on, or one that is spritzed on the back with water which works well for fabrics with texture such as terry cloth or for knits. I've found either of these can be easily removed by spraying the back with water when the design has been sewn out.

I also use a good tear-away stabilizer, again, a good quality. Below are pictures and description of my own hooping and stabilizing method. To use this method, follow the directions below:

	Supplies I use include: 1. Machine hoop 2. Scissors 3. Sticky-back stabilizer, shown in a roll here 4. Medium weight tear-away stabilizer, cut to hoop size 5. Fabric, cut to hoop size 6. 1" wide masking tape
	Cut the sticky-back stabilizer to fit hoop size.
	Peel off the backing for the sticky-back stabilizer.
	Turn the fabric with the right side down. Place the fabric on a hard, flat surface. Position the sticky-back stabilizer, sticky side down, over the fabric.
	Smooth the sticky-back stabilizer onto the back side or the fabric. Turn the fabric over and also smooth the right side of the fabric so there are no wrinkles or bubbles on the surface.
	Place the stabilized fabric over the tear-away stabilizer with the right set up and the sticky-back side down.
	Center the top piece of your hoop over the fabric and tear-away stabilizer. Holding all the edges together against the hoop sides, place the top piece of your hoop into the bottom piece, loosening the tightening screw as necessary to fit the top hoop piece comfortably into the bottom hoop piece. This hoops both the stabilized fabric and the tear-away stabilizer together in the hoop.
	Fabric should be as shown, flat, no wrinkles, but NOT stretched. With the sticky-back stabilizer in place, your fabric isn't going to stretch. Tighten the screw on your hoop comfortably tight. Do not over-tighten. You can break the screw. Ask how I know!
	Turn your hoop over to the back side. Pull the stabilizer, NOT the fabric, tight against the hoop. Notice that you CAN move both the fabric and the stabilizer in the hoop. The purpose of stabilizing in this way is to eliminate that movement.
	Using the fingernails, crease the stabilizer against the side of the hoop.
	Take the masking tape and measure out a piece a little longer than the side of your hoop.
	Lay the masking tape along the edge of the hoop so that 1/2 of the tape width lies on the stabilizer and 1/2 on the side of the hoop. Here you see the hoop mechanism that attaches to the machine. You want to be sure to lay the tape along this side so it does not get into the mechanism. Usually this side ends up with less than 1/2 of the tape up on the side and a little more on the stabilizer as you can see here. This is a Viking hoop, but the same applies for any machine. Smooth the tape down and up on the sides with your fingers.
	Do the opposite side of the hoop next. It doesn't matter which side you start with, just always do the opposite side next to ensure maximum tightness in the hoop. Stretch the stabilizer, again NOT the fabric, pulling tight against the opposite taped side of the stabilizer. While holding the stabilizer tight, crease against the hoop side with your fingernail.
	Apply the masking tape in the same way as before.
	Do the other two sides of the hoop in the same way. You can see that the stabilizer is not going to budge because there is now no give at all. It is actually the stabilizer that holds the design in place. Using this method also helps to eliminate puckers in your fabric because the fabric is not stretched at all, but just lies in the hoop.
	Here is the finished hoop. This may seem like over-kill to some people, but, for me, I must know when I sew out a design whether a correction is needed or not. I cannot be wondering if the fabric has moved. Stabilizing in this way allows me to make corrections with confidence. As with all things, once you've done this procedure, it takes only an extra minute, and is well worth the little bit of extra effort. For knits or very stretchy fabric, I still use a sticky-back, one that activates with water, but I don't hoop the fabric at all. Instead, I hoop on the stabilizer, in the same way as above, lay the fabric on top and use a fix stitch around the perimeter of the design to hold it in place.