We test each of our Snap-Hoops on various machines and models to ensure the proper fit and function. We also publish a machine compatibility chart which you can view here.

Hoops are commonly referred to as 4" x 4", 5" x 7", and so on. That measurement refers to the size of the sewing field and not the actual size of the hoop. Every embroidery machine has a sewing field limit that will be noted in the machine manual. Single-needle machines recognize the hoop that is attached and will not allow you to stitch a design that is larger than the attached hoop; it also won’t stitch if the design has been moved out of the sewing field.

It gets a bit more complicated than that. A 4" x 4" hoop does not actually stitch a sewing field of 4" x 4"; rather it fills a sewing field of 100mm x 100mm. Since the metric system does not convert evenly to imperial, the embroidery industry has taken the liberty of rounding off the numbers in inches. So what to do? Read your manual, learn the true size of your sewing field, and make the best of it! As well we have also created this pdf which provides the interior measurements of all our hoops. 

Hop on over to Eileen's blog where she explains exactly how to apply your guides. She even provide a downloadable crosshair design to help. Click here to go the blog. 

Yes! We have many videos available on our YouTube channel for how to get the most out of your Snap Hoop along with lots of other DIME products. Visit our YouTube channel here to watch.

1. Are your hoop pieces aligned?
When hooping your quilt sandwich, ensure that the magnet is directly over the metal base of the hoop for the best hold. Aim for maximum contact between the magnet and metal. If you need assistance aligning the hoop pieces, the Hoop Setter is a product specifically designed for this purpose. Watch this video demonstration of how the Hoop Setter works.
https://youtu.be/e0xFafPIDV8?si=iHNGyZACGyDKtx7P

2. Do a hoop test.
Test how tightly the Snap Hoop Monster is holding your quilt sandwich. The magnetism of the hoop has its limits. If your quilt is too thick for the hoop, there may not be a strong enough connection between the magnet and the metal base. Conduct a hoop test by holding onto your quilt sandwich and letting the hoop dangle vertically. If it holds, you're good to go; if the magnet slips, you don't have a strong enough hold to quilt. View this video demonstration of the hoop test.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAvS4wNdLGI

3. Support the quilt/No quilt drag
Ensure the weight of the quilt is adequately supported and does not drag on the edge of the table, embroidery arm, machine bed, etc. The resistance caused by quilt drag can cause the magnetic hoop top to slip, pull the design out of alignment, prevent stitches from forming correctly, or even cause a needle break. Below are links to videos on the Weightless Quilter and Weightless Quilter Tabletop. These products are designed specifically to prevent quilt drag. They hold the quilt above the bed of the machine allowing the hoop and quilt to move freely during the embroidery process.
Weightless Quilter https://youtu.be/eSNZ5fEq1Lc?si=PdpzWAkvVbx7jPCo
Tabletop Weightless Quilter https://youtu.be/nJVRyjcOfsY?si=SP4u_L_TszjahISp

4. Trace the design.
Trace the outside perimeter of the quilting design with your quilt sandwich in the hoop to identify any issues before actually stitching the design. Use your machine’s trace feature to observe the quilt’s behavior and check for any tension issues on the quilt sandwich that might cause slipping. If unsure how to trace the design area, refer to the machine user manual or consult your machine dealer.

5. Trial run
Still not convinced the hold is secure? Conduct a trial run. A trial run is just that, a test
stitch-out but without thread. Load the hoop with the quilt sandwich hooped and loaded onto your embroidery machine, turn off your upper and lower thread sensors, and then run your quilting design with no thread in the machine. This will provide proof the quilt isn’t slipping, and that the magnetic hoop is holding securely through every stitch of the quilting design. If unsure how to turn off your thread sensor, refer to the machine user manual or consult your machine dealer.

6. Check presser foot height
When working with lofty batting, raise the presser foot height if necessary. If you notice that when the presser foot is set at its standard height that the foot is exerting too much pressure on the quilt sandwich, it may result in the sandwich "snowplowing" in front or behind the foot. This added resistance could potentially cause the magnetic top frame to slip, leading to a misaligned design. To address this issue, simply raise the presser foot height. This adjustment ensures that the foot glides smoothly over the lofty quilt sandwich, preventing any unwanted pressure. If you’re not sure how to change your presser foot height, refer to the machine user manual or consult your machine dealer.

Unless your new machine uses the exact same hoops as your previous machine you will not be able to use them or convert them for use. You will need to order a new hoop compatible with your new machine/model.

Extensive research has shown that the position of the magnets on our magnetic hoops does not cause any damage to computerized embroidery machines. The metal frame absorbs the electromagnetic pull which, while strong enough for hooping, is not strong enough to pass through this field. Most commercial machines do not even have magnetic fields in the lower arm assembly. 

The use of magnets in this application has been thoroughly tested with no adverse effects. Additionally of all the magnetic hoops we've sold, there has not been a single report of any problem which was caused by magnets properly placed on the hoops. 

However, magnets CAN damage magnetic computer data; therefore, use caution. Do not put them in direct contact with diskettes or memory sticks. Some design cards are susceptible as well. To be on the safe side, watch where you put your magnets! 

We do not take responsibility for damaged diskettes, memory sticks, design cards or other media that is damaged due to user error.

Don't worry, we're here to help! There are many reasons why a machine might not recognize a hoop - we have an in-depth article on our blog explaining why this happens. 

If you want to cut to the chase and just get your hoop to work, follow the instructions below for your machine brand.

For Bernina, Viking, or Pfaff Machines

First, turn your machine OFF and then back ON to make sure you're starting fresh.

Next, load any design onto the screen and open your Hoop Options menu.

Select the correct hoop size for your Snap Hoop (without the "M" if you are on a Viking machine).

Click “Go” to enter embroidery mode.

When prompted, attach your hoop and click “OK” once it's in place.

Your machine should now be ready to stitch!

For Baby Lock or Brother Machines

Baby Lock and Brother machines rarely have issues with the machine not recognizing the hoop. To troubleshoot this we require more information. Please start a help ticket and provide the following information.

Hoop size

Machine model

A photo of the hoop attachment showing the notches

Approximate date of purchase

Our Snap Hoop Monsters are meticulously tested for optimal performance. To ensure the best possible usability, we use the ideal number of suede strips on the bottom frame, corresponding to the hoop size and machine type.

While few hoops require 4 strips, most function perfectly with only 2 or 3. Each hoop undergoes rigorous testing to determine the optimal number of strips needed.

Suede strips are designed to allow the hoop to glide more easily on the machine bed and should last for approximately one million stitches. Replacement strips are available to order here when needed.

Yes! We offer replacement suede for the bottom of the hoop. This suede is important as it helps to reduce drag and provides a smooth surface for the hoop to easily glide on the machine bed while stitching. The suede strips should last around 50,000 stitches.

You can pick up replacement suede here on our website. 

Hoops are commonly referred to as 4" x 4", 5" x 7", and so on. That measurement refers to the size of the sewing field and not the actual size of the hoop. Every embroidery machine has a sewing field limit that will be noted in the machine manual. Single-needle machines recognize the hoop that is attached and will not allow you to stitch a design that is larger than the attached hoop; it also won’t stitch if the design has been moved out of the sewing field.

It gets a bit more complicated than that. A 4" x 4" hoop does not actually stitch a sewing field of 4" x 4"; rather it fills a sewing field of 100mm x 100mm. Since the metric system does not convert evenly to imperial, the embroidery industry has taken the liberty of rounding off the numbers in inches. So what to do? Read your manual, learn the true size of your sewing field, and make the best of it! As well we have also created this pdf which provides the interior measurements of all our hoops. 

Having trouble fitting your embroidery design in your hoop? Don't worry, we've got you covered!

Here are a few tips:

Try a larger hoop: If your machine allows it, a larger hoop might do the trick. Always remember to use the hoop size closest to the size of your design. 

Resize your design: Use our FREE Embroidery Tool Shed software to resize your design to fit your hoop's embroidery field. Not sure what the field size is? Check out our handy chart.

Divide and conquer: If your design is too big, and it can be saved as as several separate designs, you can stitch them separately in multiple hoopings. Use templates to keep everything aligned.

Split the design: if your design cannot be saved as several objects, our Perfect Embroidery Pro software can help you split your design into multiple hoopings if needed.

Need more help? Feel free to reach out to our support team!

We are confident you will love your Snap Hoop Monster product and we stand behind
the quality of each of our hoops. If your Snap Hoop Monster exhibits a defect within the warranty period, please contact us to initiate a warranty claim. We will repair or replace the product at our discretion.

We warranty the top magnetic frame of each Snap Hoop Monster for a period of two years from the date of purchase against manufacturer defects. The metal bottom and attachment of each Snap Hoop Monster are warranted to be free from manufacturer defects for the lifetime of the product.

Warranty Exclusions

The Snap Hoop Monster warranty does NOT cover the following:

• Damage caused by misuse or abuse
• Damage caused by accidents or natural disasters
• Products that have been modified or altered
• Products that have been purchased from unauthorized retailers
• Product bought in "used" condition
• Consumables adhered to the hoop including adhesive suede and adhesive centering guides*

*Adhesive suede on the bottom of the metal frame helps the hoop glide across the machine bed and is considered a consumable element as well as the adhesive centering guides used on the top of the hoop to help with design placement. Replacements for either may be purchased through our website or a Customer Service agent for $4.95 plus shipping.

To Make a Warranty Claim

Please contact customer service and provide your contact information, proof of
purchase, and a description of the defect. We may require you to provide us with photos/video of the defect. Once we have reviewed your claim, we will let you know how we will proceed. In some cases, we may assign a prorated value to a hoop when the condition or circumstance falls outside of our standard warranty coverage.

Sharing might be caring, but when it comes to our software, it's a no-no! Our licensing agreement says you can’t share or transfer your software to others—it’s against the rules. But don’t worry, your friends can still join the fun with full-featured demos available in the FREE Embroidery Tool Shed. Now, you can share the love of stitching without breaking any rules!

Please visit our design collection installation page for instructions and a video on how to install your designs.

You will receive an email with the subject line "Dime - Product Download" after your purchase is complete. This is a separate email from your order receipt. Follow the directions in the email to download your product. Please check your spam/junk folder if you do not see the email. Should you encounter any trouble please give us a call or send us an email. 

If you purchased a physical product and can't find a download that came with it please visit our download page.

Please visit our Inspired By Dime website to download any design collections, Stitch Swag Purchases or software. 

You've come to the right place! Download the Embroidery Tool Shed here and gain access to some powerful tools...all for FREE!

Absolutely! Any item you embroider is yours and you may resale it as you wish.

You are not permitted, however, to resale the design collections or elements contained in the software or design collections as digital files.

All of the DIME software products are contained within our free Embroidery Tool Shed. Simply download the Embroidery Tool Shed, find your product inside it and complete your registration process from there. You will also find full feature demos of all our software within the Tool Shed.

If you need specific instructions for installing Perfect Stitch Viewer, please click here.

To install your software on a new computer you must first unregister the software from your old computer. Please follow these steps.

1. Open the Embroidery Tool Shed
2. Click on Help in the top menu bar
3. Select Activation
4. In the dropdown menu select the software title you would like to move to your new computer
5. Copy the serial number and paste it into a Word document, notepad, or other program - make sure to note which software title goes with the serial number
6. Repeat steps 4-5 for each title you wish to move
7. Print the document you made with your software titles and serial numbers or save it somewhere you can access it later on your new computer, such as a cloud drive. You can also email it to yourself.
8. Go back to Embroidery Tool Shed and repeat steps 2-3 (Help/Activation)
9. This time do not select a software title from the dropdown menu, instead you will choose Unregister
10. A popup window will appear to confirm that you have copied your serial number(s), select Yes. This operation will unregister ALL software in Embroidery Tool Shed. 

Once you have noted your serial numbers and unregistered your software you are ready to install it on your new computer. Follow these steps to set up your software on your new system.

1. Download the Embroidery Tool Shed onto your new system
2. Follow the step-by-step instructions on our website here to re-register each title

After each program has been activated in the Embroidery Tool Shed and you have entered your designated serial numbers for each program your software transfer is complete! If you need help at any stage of the process you can start a support ticket by clicking here. 

We fully support our software - please visit us at https://www.inspiredbydime.com/ and click on the SUPPORT link at the top of the page. Here you will find our Help Center, Forums, One-on-One Training and more. 

For help in USING your software please click here!

If you’re seeing an error saying the program can’t be installed because it’s not in the Microsoft Store, it just means that the software isn’t available directly through the store. No worries—this is common for specialized software!

You can download it from our site and follow our installation instructions. Rest assured, our software is completely safe and secure for your system.

To make things easy, we’ve created an instructional page with a helpful video. You can find it here: https://inspiredbydime.com/pages/download-install-instructions. If you need any extra assistance, our friendly customer service team is always here to help!

Feel free to reach out to our customer service team for any help with installation or registration.

Thanks for making the switch to Exquisite! It is a high-quality thread at a value price and we know you will love it. We have a color conversion chart you can download here that will help you to match Exquisite thread to many popular brands you may have used in the past.

Encountering issues with thread while stitching can be frustrating. We have put together this quick checklist to go over if you have any issues with breaks, shredding or skipped stitches. 

Check Your Needle

• Replace the needle if it's dull, bent, or has a burr—it can cause thread breaks or shredding.
• Ensure the needle size is appropriate; a needle that’s too small increases thread friction.

 Clean the Bobbin Area

• Regularly clean lint from the bobbin area and inspect the bobbin case and needle plate for burrs that could damage the thread.

Test with Different Threads or Designs

• Try the same thread on a different design
• Try the same design with different spool of embroidery thread.

Experiment with Fabric and Stabilizer

• Stitch the design on a different fabric or stabilizer to identify any compatibility issues.

Hoop Properly

• Make sure the fabric is securely hooped. Loose fabric can bounce during stitching, leading to thread breaks, shredding, or skipped stitches.

Use a Thread Net

• If the thread is catching on the spool, try using a thread net to ensure smoother feeding. These often come with embroidery machines.

There are many options of stabilizer depending on the type of fabric you are embroidering on and what the end-use will be for your project. We have created a handy Embroiderer's Compass to help navigate the confusing question on which stabilizer to use and the correct needle type as well as tips from embroidery expert, Deborah Jones.

Please view the Embroiderer's Compass here - it's a tool no embroider should be without!

The Weightless Quilter has a small footprint (36" x 36") and will fit under your sewing cabinet, table or it can even be configured to sit on the sides of a table. There are multiple ways you can set it up for your particular space and table height. It assembles quickly without the use of tools.

Watch this video where Eileen explains how to assemble the Weightless Quilter and the different configurations you can use for your space. 

Please visit our event calendar online to sign up for a virtual event. 

We accept refunds and exchanges according to the policy listed below. Please contact customer service to begin any refund or exchange on your purchase. 

Returns 
Our policy lasts 30 days. If 30 days have gone by since your purchase, unfortunately, we can’t offer you a refund or exchange.

To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging. If it not returned in the original packaging you will be charged a restocking fee.

Several types of goods are exempt from being returned. 

Downloadable products 

Registered software - once software has been registered it can not be returned

Opened software 

Opened products containing any electronic media (DVD, CD, etc)

To complete your return, we require a receipt or proof of purchase.

We can only process refunds, returns, or exchanges if you bought your product directly from our website. If you purchased your product(s) from another website or dealer store please return your product to them.

Refunds (if applicable) 
Once your return is received and inspected, we will send you an email to notify you that we have received your returned item. We will also notify you of the approval or rejection of your refund. 

If approved, your refund will be processed, and a credit will automatically be applied to your credit card or original method of payment, within a certain amount of days.

Late or missing refunds (if applicable) 
If you haven’t received a refund yet, first check your bank account again. Then contact your credit card company, it may take some time before your refund is officially posted. Next contact your bank. There is often some processing time before a refund is posted. 

If you’ve done all of this and you still have not received your refund yet, please contact us at customerservices@dzgns.com

Exchanges (if applicable) 
We only replace items if they are defective or damaged. If you need to exchange it for the same item, send us an email at customerservices@dzgns.com and wait for us to issue you an RMA (return merchandise authorization). Once you have your RMA send your item to:

Dime Emb, LLC
ATTN: Returns Department
10495 Olympic Dr #100
Dallas, Texas, US, 75220. 

Please mark your package with the RMA visible on the outside and inside of your packaging. 

Once your package is received by us we will then process your exchange. 

Gifts 
If the item was marked as a gift when purchased and shipped directly to you, you’ll receive a gift credit for the value of your return.

If the item wasn’t marked as a gift when purchased, or the gift giver had the order shipped to themselves to give to you later, we will send a refund to the gift giver and (s)he will find out about your return. 

Shipping 
To return your product, contact us to get your RMA (return merchandise authorization) and then mail your product to 10495 Olympic Dr #100, Dallas, Texas, US, 75220. You will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Your RMA number must be visible on the outside and inside of your packaging. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund if a return label is provided to you. We do not refund shipping costs for foreign transactions, for any reason. 

**If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We do not guarantee that we will receive your returned item.

We're so sorry to hear that your package arrived damaged! Please let us know if the product is usable or if it needs to be replaced.

To assist us in processing your claim, please provide photo(s) of the damaged item.

If the item is unusable, we'll be happy to issue a Return Authorization (RA) so you can return it to us. Once we receive the damaged item, we'll happily send you a replacement.

Please don't hesitate to contact our customer service team if you have any further questions.

Our goal is to process orders as soon as possible and in most cases we ship orders our in 2-3 business days.  If an out-of-stock item will affect your delivery you will receive a notice when adding the item to your cart. If it has been more than 21 days since you placed your order and you do not see tracking information in your account, please contact us.

If you are looking for tracking information related to your order, the most up to date information can be found in your account under My Orders. Click here to log into your account to see your order history and any tracking information available. This information updates daily and is the most current information available.

If you are having trouble logging into your account on the dzgns.com website please visit this link and select the option "Recover password". 

On the next screen enter your password. If an account is found matching your email address you will receive an email with a link to reset your password. Please check your spam/junk folder if you do not see the email in your inbox.

If you do not receive an email to reset your password, please contact us to retrieve the email address you signed up with.

Yes, we ship all over the world. Shipping costs will apply and will be added at checkout.

All items shipped internationally are sent DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid). You may be contacted by customs to pay any duty due before your package can be released. Duty is determined by your home country, please refer all questions related to duty to customs in your country. 

All items shipped internationally are subject to our restrictive return/exchange policy. Any shipping costs for returns or exchanges are your sole responsibility. We do not refund shipping costs for any foreign transactions, for any reason. 

It depends on where you are. Orders are processed in the order they are received and will take 5-7 business days to arrive once shipped. Overseas deliveries can take double that time. Tracking information will be provided as it is available.