How To Use A Quilting Hoop

The previous mail showing my quilting hoop prompted a lot of questions. Below I will share everything that I take learned near hoops in my many years of hand quilting. When I teach a paw quilting course, it is understandably the outset time most of the students have attempted manus quilting. They come to class with an array of tools, most of which have been purchased recently. Often the tools are more a hindrance than a assistance. Lately when I teach I provide a detailed supply sheet. This isn't to be hard and it isn't because I have an arrangement with a supplier - information technology'due south because I want yous to savor the hand quilting procedure. Nigh goose egg is more enjoyable than paw quilting - IF y'all have tools that help yous instead of fighting you at every turn.
This is my hoop. It is over 30 years onetime. I take a spare stowed abroad, but thankfully I haven't had to break it in. The edges are all rounded and it is babe bottom smooth. This isn't necessary in your hoop, but if you employ it a few years - you too volition appreciate this pocket-sized detail. It didn't get-go out that way. The edges were flat - only like the edges in your hoop will be. Don't worry well-nigh this. This is simply one of my ramblings virtually quilting that I can go on and on about. (nod your head and patronize me here) Anyhow, this hoop, or something very much like it is all you lot will need to quilt any size quilt. Always.

When I teach hand quilting, the shops that I teach at ask about ordering supplies. In the by few years I have looked at all the hoops available and my favorite is the hoop made by the F. A. Edmunds Visitor.

These hoops are hands available to your local quilt shop and are reasonably priced. I recommend the 12" size. My hoop is eleven" and I haven't seen one in that size in years. The 12" is your all-time bet. I believe this size hoop retails for around $xx.00. There are several other companies that make hoops that are merely as nice, simply are a little chip more money. The cheaper wooden hoops sold at the chain stores are non a practiced value. They are pretty much worthless for quilting. They are flimsy and your quilt volition pop out every couple of seconds. Do not waste matter money on them. Also, exercise not go the plastic hoops advertised equally quilting hoops at chain stores. The ones with the ridge within to grip the cloth...... NO. This is simply a big embroidery hoop and is not what you need. When you are doing embroidery, you lot demand your material to exist tight and taut in your hoop. When you are quilting, this is the last matter you want. When I try to explain the difference in class I will frequently say "the quilting hoop is actually much more like a sewing bird than an embroidery hoop." At this point, most of the students will expect at me like I accept a mean solar day pass from a walled institution. If anyone actually knows what a sewing bird is - they may know what I mean, but usually not. What I do hateful is the quilting hoop shouldn't hold your quilt taut. What it actually is - is a third hand - much like an erstwhile fashioned sewing bird was a tertiary hand for seamstresses. Okay, I will attempt to explain.....This is my hoop with the quilt in information technology. Notice the slack. With my left manus underneath at the vii o'clock position, I punch up until my fist tin can be about 1 or two inches to a higher place the hoop. This is usually the misconception everyone has about putting a quilt in a hoop. I know it was mine. I won't tell you how many quilts I hand quilted earlier I knew to deliberately keep slack in the hoop. Now, the quilt is basted. (as yours will be) Apply any technique that you like: stitch basting, pivot basting, or spray basting. (I judge more info on basting is needed in another post.) People mistakenly think that if your quilt is slack in the hoop, it defeats the purpose of basting. No. This basted quilt has all 3 layers of the quilt sandwich in place and they will not shift, but information technology yet needs to be slack in the hoop. Did I explicate that right? It is difficult to run into in that picture, but this quilt is spray basted and sew basted right forth the very edge. I always stitch baste on the very border to keep the edge fixed.

When I hand quilt, I start somewhere well-nigh the heart and work my style to the edge. Hither is another quilt that is almost finished. I haven't started quilting the edge yet. When I baste a quilt I want to accept the backing and batting about half dozen" larger all the way around. five" is okay, 6" is great. The half-dozen" here is rolled up and pinned to the edge of the superlative. I go along it in this land until I get to the border. When I am twisting and turning the hoop in the process of quilting the eye - I want the raw edges turned in and kept pristine.

When the middle is quilted, I unpin the edges. This is what you run across here. It allows me to move the hoop so I can quilt all of the edge. There are half hoops that are designed to practise this, but after using them and owning nigh four or 5 of them in my life ..... believe me, this is much easier. If you always make sure to have the bankroll and batting well-nigh 6" larger than your top - yous will be able to quilt to the very edge with a round hoop.
This is sort of hard to explain in withal pictures, but this is my beginning stitch. (Oh yes, the rubber finger thing and the thimble - again, some other post is needed). Notice the slack.

This is the finish of the first stitch, with the needle going straight down. This is incommunicable if you don't accept any slack in your hoop.
Here I am coming up for the second sew together.
All I tin can tell you is that the higher up steps work for me. I hope it helps. I found this video on you lot-tube. It shows the correct mechanics of the quilting sew. Enjoy.