I only hoop stabilizer myself but will wait to see others answers.

I always always place it on top. My machine will do a basting stitch to hold it down. If yours doesn't have this option either spray glue it down or pin it at the very edges of your hoop so it won't get hit. good luck, it usually works great every time. don't forget to put a little piece of wss on top to keep your threads at bay.....

Mostly I only hoop the stabilizer, never the fabric. I use adhesive spray all the time and it works perfect with all fabic so towels, felt, fleece and so on.....

So far, I have not hooped and used pins. It has treated me well thus far.

I haven't tested these, but googled basting sticht and came up with the result

http://www.threadartist.com/embroidery_basting_stitch.htm

I never hoop the towel...just the stabilizer. I've used a basting stitch to hold, I've used sticky back stabilizer and basting stitch and I've used adhesive spray to hold. All these have given me good results. Just experiment with the one you like best.

I don't hoop the towels, I use a spray and then my basting stitch. I guess with breaking your hoop you had an expensive lesson. At least to me they are expensive.

Looks like you got all kinds of answers! Aren't Cuties GREAT!
Good Luck
Dawn

I really think that depends on your hoop. I personally alway hoop towels because I feel I get the positioning better that way, bit I have very sturdy hoops. If I didn't have the sturdy hoops I would probably not hoop them. So I think that answer is it is a personal choice. Do what works best for you.

I always loosen the hoop some so it will fit nicely but also hoop the WSS with it and it holds it in place. Never tried to use the spray or sticky stabilizer for them as am afraid it will pull the back loops. Interesting to know some use those so I may try it with my next towels. there are always lots of good ideas from cuties. I do love the sticky paper to emb. on ribbons and things that I find hard to hoop.

I don't hoop towels or fleece. I hoop sticky peel away tear away stabilizer (Sulky Sticky) with a layer of medium or heavy tear away stabilizer under that, stretched tightly. I gently place the towel on the sticky and position, or reposition it until I get it just exactly the way I want. It lets me reset it up to 4 tries! Then I place a piece of the clear water soluble stabilizer over that. I pin that it to the top of the towel out of the way of the design. The only thing I have to worry about it making sure when I pull the tear away off the back, I don't pull any loops. I do that by just using the same easy pressure over the whole towel. They turn out nice, straight, with no hoop rings left over. It's what works for me.

I hoop mine. I feel more secure that way and I use a tear away on the back and WSS on front. It's pretty much a matter of how you like to do it best. I have had customers bring me some that were UNHOOPABLE because they were so thick. I basted them onto stabilizer and hooped the stabilizer only- still using WSS on front. Good luck and play with some car washing towels to figure out how it is that YOU like to do it and what works for you.

I always hoop the towels for best result and they are perfect that way.

I press a iron on tear away on the back of the towel.. then I hoop a tearaway .. spray it then attach the towel on top of that.. I use a wss on top.. when done I tear away the stabilizer off the back and remove the wss and looks great every time.. Of course I have prewashed the towel first..

i hoop my stabilizer, spray it with adhesive, stick towel to it, then embroider!

Here is a posting that has several BASTING stitches available...
http://answers.cuteembroidery.com/4637868/Hello-Cuties-Any-digitizers-there-4x4.html

I do not hoop towels but use spray adhesive...never had a problem but be sure and use a stablizer on top to keep the threads from "sinking into the towel"

I hoop tear away stablizer and then pin towel to stablizer, wss on top of towel to keep designs from sinking into toweling.

No question is silly - that is how we all learn. I think you have some answers here. Good luck.

I always baste,towels

I never hoop. I use a sticky washaway and stick the towel to it. I also baste with a washaway thread before I stitch the actual design. I also use a washaway topper to keep the loops from catching, etc.

I don't see that anyone gave you this tip and I don't know why it helps but it does! Works if you hoop the towel or just the stabilizer & baste. Use 2 pieces of stabilizer and then when you hoop them put one with what would be the straight of grain the other one with and what would be the cross grain . Seems to really give more stability and the design doesn't pull up. Good luck.