I'm having trouble hooping felt. The hoop I want to use is a 6x6 and the design is small enought to fit that hoop. I'm using felt that I got at Michaels. However, I can't hoop the felt as the hoop seems to be too small or the felt is too thick. The obvious answer is to use a larger hoop. I don't want to use a larger hoop as it would be too large and the felt isn't big enough for it. If I can take out the screw out that you tighten the hoop with, but that has its own problems. Any suggestion about hooping thick fabric?

Thanks for all the advice! I did not want to have to deal with removing minusculer pieces of stabilizer bits because you'd see bits of white, or washing everything that would take forever, or use a bigger hoop that would waste fabric..

What I ended up doing was to take the screw out of the hoop. Then, I hooped the fabric. I gingerly put the screw back in it's place and gradually tightened it so that it gradually compressed the felt. Then, I was able to tighten the screw just enough to hold the fabric without the inner hoop popping out. I had to work slowly to get the compression right so that the screw or inner hoop did not pop out. While it worked for me, I don't reccommend this technique.Too much can go wrong,

I suppose using a wws would have been a good second choice, but the project was time consuming enough without having to deal with washing each piece. I'll post a photo when done.

2 comments

by mops 29 Nov 2020

I have used stabiliser that can be removed by heating - iron stet on a low setting. Works well.

by pennyhal2 30 Nov 2020

I've never heard of that before! Will have to check it out. It would have saved me a lot of hassle! Thanks@

Like the others I hoop the stabiliser and fix the felt (or towelling, velvet, corduroy or fleece) with pins or use the outline my Ruby gives as an option or before I had that one I even secured it by long manual stitches.

I like using a temporary adhesive like 505 and then use straight pins to be sure the fabric doesn't move. Only the stabilizer is hooped and i use a light stabilizer. Felt usually take ME beautifully so I don't need more than a light one.

I use double sided sticky tape just a few inches long at the outer edges of the hoop. This holds it to the stabilizer. Works fine for me.

I never hoop felt or towels . I spray a bit of temporary basting on the stabilizer and lay the material on top. That is usually enough. Sometimes I add pins on the outside. Good luck

1 comment

by graceandham 28 Nov 2020

Pins or Scotch tape, but no tape on felt, might damage nap.

Hoop your stabilizer and either tack down the felt with a temporary spray adhesive or pin carefully keeping all pins out of the stitching field. Use the tack-down, outline, or fix stitch to better hold the felt in place prior to stitching. Good luck!