Wooden Embroidery Hoops & Frames

An embroidery hoop (or frame) is a simple, highly effective tool consisting of two concentric rings used to hold fabric taut while you work. While not strictly mandatory for every single hand stitch, using a hoop is highly recommended for hand embroidery, sashiko, darning, and cross-stitch. By holding the textile under uniform tension, the hoop prevents your needle from pulling the fabric threads too tightly, which completely eliminates the frustrating puckering, buckling, and uneven stitches that often occur when sewing freehand.

The ideal hoop size depends on the physical dimensions of your design and how you prefer to hold your work.

• 6-Inch Embroidery Hoops: Lightweight, incredibly portable, and exceptionally easy to hold in one hand. They are the perfect size for small motifs, monogramming, children’s sewing projects, and detail work.

• 8-Inch Embroidery Hoops: Offer a larger working area, which means you do not have to move your frame across the fabric as frequently when stitching medium-sized floral designs, wreaths, or scenery. They are also highly popular for displaying finished “hoop art” directly on the wall.

Our Wipe Off Fabric Marker Pen is a brilliant temporary drafting tool containing water-soluble blue ink. It allows you to draw patterns, grid lines, or stitch placements directly onto your fabric. Once your embroidery is complete, the blue lines can be completely erased by gently dabbing them with a damp cloth or rinsing the fabric in cold water. While it is safe for the vast majority of cottons, linens, and synthetic craft fabrics, we always recommend testing the pen on a small, hidden scrap of your project fabric first to ensure complete, clean removal before drawing your main design.

To get your fabric “drum-tight” and ready for stitching, follow these simple steps:

1. Loosen the adjustment screw on the outer ring of the hoop and separate the two rings.

2. Lay the inner, solid wooden ring flat on a clean table, then drape your fabric completely over it.

3. Press the outer ring (with the screw) down over the fabric and the inner ring until they snap together.

4. Gently pull the edges of the fabric taut around the perimeter of the hoop while gradually tightening the metal screw.

5. Tap the center of the fabric with your finger—if it makes a clean, hollow, drum-like sound, your tension is perfect and you are ready to stitch!