How To Hoop

Let’s start by exploring the fundamental act of hooping for machine embroidery with standard and magnetic hoops. First, get to know your hoops. Locate (and mark) the horizontal and vertical centers; use a black marker to highlight these important marks. Check for alignment marks (matching arrows on the inner and outer rings), as many hoops are not symmetrical. Your machine manual should have a diagram illustrating these important features.

Standard Hoop: Single-Needle Machine

1. Center the outer ring on the rubberized mat under PAL or PAL2.

2. Slide the stabilizer and marked fabric under the beam aligning the beam’s crosshair with the mark (Target Sticker).

3. Insert the inner ring into the outer ring, keeping the Target Sticker aligned with the laser.

Standard Hoop: Adhesive Stabilizer

1. Hoop self-adhesive stabilizer, score, and remove the protective paper. Place the hoop on the mat, centering under PAL.

2. Slide the marked fabric under the beam and finger press the fabric to the sticky stabilizer keeping the crosshairs aligned.

3. It’s perfectly acceptable to patch a piece of used, hooped adhesive stabilizer. Cut the patch larger than the hole, remove the protective paper, and apply the patch to the back of the hooped stabilizer.

Spray Adhesive

Temporary spray adhesive turns any stabilizer into a sticky stabilizer. Hoop the stabilizer, place a protective shield over the hoop, and place the hoop in a box. Spray the hoop. Remove the hoop from the box and use the hooping guidelines outlined above.

Pinning and Taping Fabric

It definitely sounds unconventional to use pins or tape to hold fabric on a hoop, but those items are quite handy on some embroidery projects. We’ve found they work best on cut-away stabilizer, since tear-away tends to, well, tear during the pinning process, and tape can rip the tear-away if reapplication is necessary.

Magnetic Hoop: Single-Needle Machine

1. Place the metal frame on the rubberized mat.

2. Cover the frame with stabilizer and marked fabric. Place the magnetic frame perpendicular to the metal frame at the attachment.

3. Keep your fingers out of the way as you release the frame. Once the frames snap together, straighten the fabric by pulling beyond the frame.

Standard Hoop: Multi-Needle Machine

1. Place the outer ring on the mat, aligning the hoop’s centering marks with the laser’s beams.

2. Cover the frame with stabilizer.


3. Place the marked fabric under the beam, centering the crosshairs. Insert the inner ring into the outer ring.

Magnetic Hoop: Multi-Needle Machine

1. Place Monster Snap Hoop’s magnetic frame, magnet side up, on the rubberized mat, aligning the hoop’s center marks with the beam.

2. Place stabilizer and fabric over the frame, aligning the marked fabric with the beam. Position the metal frame perpendicular to the metal frame, aligning the edges.

3. Keep your fingers out of the way as you release the frame. Once the frames snap together, straighten the fabric by pulling beyond the frame. Align the frames.

Transferring the Hoop to the Machine

Now that the fabric is securely hooped, take the proper steps to safely move the hoop to the machine. Grasping the hoop by the ring can cause the fabric to release from the inner ring. Small hoops are easy to move, while larger hoops with bulky items can be challenging. Follow the steps below to avoid catastrophe.

If using Snap Hoop Monster, slide the magnetic shield under the hoop and use it to carefully move the hoop from the hooping station to the embroidery machine.

Slide a kitchen cutting board or clipboard under a standard hoop to stabilize the hoop as you transport the hoop to the machine.