Machine embroidery projects should be hooped as a general rule for best results; however, there are times that you need to float it instead.
Christmas Cookies, felt floated on heat-away stabilizer,
Cookies for Santa project
Floating isn’t magic, but it is essential in some machine embroidery projects that can’t be placed in a hoop. It may be too small to hoop, may be made of a fabric that will become damaged by a hoop (like velvet, vinyl, or leather),
Needle Keeper, Needle Keeper project
or may be part of an in-the-hoop (ITH) project like a zip bag, card, or mug rug that is constructed in the hoop.
Quilt Before Embroidery project
Other items may be too thick for your hoop, like towels or quilt blocks. Some stabilizers, namely thick ones like battalizer, are difficult if nearly impossible to hoop.
Spooky Buddies, Halloween Banner project
Magnetic hoops are wonderful for many hard-to-hoop items. In cases where hooping is not an option, regular stabilizer is hooped by itself and the item you are embroidering is floated on top of the stabilizer.
Sew Eggsquisite, Basket Liner project
Choose the correct stabilizer for your design and fabric you are embroidering. To hold the project to the stabilizer, you can pin it or use small magnets called Sew Tites as shown above (outside of the embroidery area), use a temporary spray adhesive, a glue stick, or baste it in place.
Depending upon results of your test sew, you may need to float another piece of stabilizer underneath the hoop to give extra support for stitching.
When embroidery is done, just remove everything from the hoop and trim away the stabilizer close to stitching.
What tips do you have for floating embroidery?
Debbie Henry
Sew Inspired by Bonnie
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