I have a hard time hooping a hand towel from Walmart I had to take the stablizer off and hoope the towel then use spray and stick the stablizer on. I had to loosen it up as far as I could.Help

I never hoop a towel. I use wash-away sticky stabilizer (a vilene that is sticky) and stick the towel to it. Then I baste it wash-away thread before I start stitching too! I really like the item to stay in place - comes out nicer that way. Like other cuties have said you also want to us a wash-away topper on top of the towel (I put it down before I baste the towel to the stabilizer - that way it stays put too).

Please read the instructions at the link below.
Hugs n roses, Meganne

I am not wild about the spray adhesive, seems to stay sticky on the fabric. If a towel is too thick to hoop I use the baste stitch on stabilizer.

I never use stablizer under towels - maybe I am wrong but I have never had a failure. I hoop the towel - do not get hoop burn and pin a solvy topping on the top.

I have used the sticky backing stabilizer. If you get the sticky too wet,take a water bottle and spritz as you slowly pull away.
But Im curious who has used a basting stitch once they laid the towel over the normal medium stabilizer than embroidered. I havent tackled it yet, but it sounds like it would work.

2 comments

by beatie58 25 Feb 2011

I used the basting stitch all the time much easier. My machine has a fix stitch which draws a square around the design. Works great. Hugs Sally

by leenova54 25 Feb 2011

I use basting stitch too. I found it on a website but forget which one.

I ran into Bernina to pick up my machine and purchase a hoop. Owner was busy monogramming towels. Never seen anything like this. Towel over under hoop, laundry plastic bag (spoke about this previously, these dissolve in water), upper hoop over with place marker in place. A tug here a tug there, into the machine! No stabiliser under! Embroidered beautifully!

I do not hoop my towels either. Some things are better if you use the spray temporary adhesvie and I use cut a way stabilizer. Trim to 1/8 of an inch. Put wash away stabilizer on top. I have tried the tear a way stabilzer but I fee the stability of the cut a way holds up better. Just my personal preference.

Some of the thicker towels can be dreadful work. I hoop just the stabilizer like others have said, then place the towel, put some water soluble stabilizer on top then hold it all together with a basting stitch to fit the hoop I'm using. It also avoids getting 'hoop burn' from squashing the towel under the hoop, without going to any added effort with shelf liner etc placed under the sides of the hoop.

The responders are correct. Hoop the stablizer and if you can, use a basting stitch to hold the towel. Don't forget to use a water soluble stabilzer on the top. You can hit it with a shot of the temporary spray too so it is anchored on the top of the towel. I learned all this by TRYING to hoop towels too.

Thank you for your tips. I am still new and always will learn something new everyday. I love every ones tips. I was wondering how I was going to hoop it.

I have found it much easier to hoop the stabiliser and use spray adhesive to attach the towel. Towels make my hoops pop open. I have done a lot of towels this way. Hope this helps, Bev.

I would have done it the other way around, hoop the stablizer, then spray & stick the towel on top. Charla

knitty46, it is suggested that you do not hoop a towel - just the stabilizer and then use a basting stitch around the outside edge of the hoop to attach the towel - so it will not slip - then you have to secure your towel out of the way of your embroidery design.