Along with stabilizer; hooping is one of the most important aspects of machine embroidery. Home embroidery machines come with a hoop specifically designed for that particular embroidery machine. There are two parts of this hoop - the inner hoop and the outer hoop. Each has a specific task to perform and each should be used for its intended purpose. The outer hoop attaches to the machine, either at the side or the top, and guides the fabric to the appropriate spot for the needle to penetrate. The inner hoop is used to hold the garment firmly within the outer hoop. The stitching takes place within the inner hoop. If a garment or fabric is not hooped correctly or secured tightly, problems can occur, resulting in misaligned stitching and irregular machine embroidery design.
Basic Hooping
Directions Mark the desired position for the center of the selected machine embroidery design on the fabric or garment. Draw horizontal and vertical lines through the center marking.
Place the appropriate stabilizer (cut away or tear-away) behind the fabric; bond with adhesive spray, if desired.
Place the outer hoop on a hard, flat surface. Loosen the screw on the edge of the hoop.
Lay the stabilized fabric over the outer hoop, aligning the guidelines with the center markings on the the edges of the hoop. press the inner hoop into position over the fabric and check to see that the vertical and horizontal guidelines are straight.
Note: Most hoops have center markings along the inner and outer edges. If not, mark them with a permanent ink marker.
Gently smooth the fabric, tightening the screw to hold it in place. keep the guidelines straight to avaoid distorting the grain of the fabric. The template provided with the hoop can be used to check the aligment.
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