I’ve been writing about my favourite tools in Tools of the Trade for the last couple of years so I thought I would start a new series called How To. In these posts I will share some techniques and tips for your textile projects and I’m starting off with one of the most popular follow up questions from my workshops.

“How do I present my work in an embroidery hoop?“

If you follow me on social media, you will have seen my workshop samples presented in embroidery hoops. It’s a great way to present a piece of work, you can add a piece of ribbon to hang the work and you can even put the finished hoop in a box frame. Here are some simple instructions for finishing your hoop…

Step One…

Make sure your design is centred in the embroidery hoop and tighten the clasp as much as you can, a screwdriver will help you with this. Cut the remaining fabric into a circle around the hoop, this doesn’t have to be perfect as you’ll be covering it up.

Step Two…

Using a strong thread like Gutermann Hand Quilting Thread, sew a tacking stitch around the edge of the circle. I’ve used a contrasting thread so you can see it, you will use a thread that matches your fabric.

Step Three…

Gently gather the fabric up like the edges of a shower cap and secure the thread with a couple of stitches on top of each other.

Step Four…

You can cover the back of the hoop with a circle of felt, Hobbycraft sell A4 sheets of self-adhesive felt which makes it really easy to attach. You can also stick down regular felt using all purpose glue like Bostick.

Step Five…

Finally, you can tie a ribbon around the clasp of the embroidery hoop. If you want to put the hoop into a box frame I would miss this step out.