If you love to embroider or cross-stitch, you may have found that one of the most frustrating things is fabric slipping in the hoop, causing the fabric to become slack and creating uneven stitches.
We want to offer the following solutions to keeping fabric taut in the hoop:
- Always Cut Fabric Larger Than the Hoop: A generous fabric border allows you to pull and adjust tension more easily without worrying about running out of material.
- Try ‘Hoop Binding’: This is done by wrapping the inner ring of your embroidery hoop with strips of fabric, twill tape, or bias tape. This adds friction and grip, keeping your fabric taut as you stitch.
- Use a Quality Hoop: Wooden hoops tend to grip fabric better than plastic ones, but if using a plastic hoop, look for one with a screw-tightening mechanism.
- Tighten the Screw Properly: After securing your fabric in the hoop, gently pull the edges to remove any slack before tightening the screw as much as possible.
- Use a Non-Slip Hoop: Some plastic hoops come with a rubberized or ridged inner ring to help prevent shifting. (These are my favorite hoops!)
These simple tricks will create a secure, taut surface for you to create even, beautiful stitches without the frustration!