Quilting Hoop or Embroidery Hoop???

Hello,

What is the difference between a quilting hoop and an embroidery hoop? I want to start a new project and am just brainstorming now and find myself in unfamiliar territory. What I want to do is make hanging wall art using wool yarn and the wool rug hooking technique on burlap or course linen (this type of backing or something similar). I have never done any of this or used any of the tools or materials that I need to accomplish this, other than crocheting with yarn. I need a hoop that will hold my material taught and give me easy access to both top and bottom of the base material at all times, is easy to use and relocate the hoop for large projects and doesn't ruin the yarn when tightened at relocation. I'm thinking I will need at least an 18" hoop. I need something functional, easy to use, durable and inexpensive. Like I said, I've never done this before so I want to invest a minimal amount of money to start to see if it is something that I love or not, so a $65 and up lap hoop is not in the budget at this time. Any help, suggestions and information regarding this endeavor will be very appreciated. Thank you and have a great day!


~Michelle

Terry White- a famous quilter in many different types of quilts and quilting
(http://www.threadpaint.com/) recommends the Morgan No-Slip hoops. I have
used everything from cheap to expensive wooden and plastic hoops with a snap
in inner ring or a screw on outer ring with success. But this No-Slip hoop
is amazing! It's well worth the investment (not all that much more
expensive than a cheap hoop!) for it's much superior holding power and very
sturdy construction.... I use it for free motion embroidery and thread
painting- both by machine. It's also excellent for hand work. I can't
praise this hoop enough. I have no doubt it's going to last for the rest of
my lifetime and then some and I'll enjoy every minute I'm using it. ;-)

Good luck with finding what works best for you!

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.


http://www.nosliphoops.com/no-slip-hoops.html
"mlh510" wrote in message
...

Hello,

What is the difference between a quilting hoop and an embroidery hoop? I
want to start a new project and am just brainstorming now and find
myself in unfamiliar territory. What I want to do is make hanging wall
art using wool yarn and the wool rug hooking technique on burlap or
course linen (this type of backing or something similar). I have never
done any of this or used any of the tools or materials that I need to
accomplish this, other than crocheting with yarn. I need a hoop that
will hold my material taught and give me easy access to both top and
bottom of the base material at all times, is easy to use and relocate
the hoop for large projects and doesn't ruin the yarn when tightened at
relocation. I'm thinking I will need at least an 18" hoop. I need
something functional, easy to use, durable and inexpensive. Like I said,
I've never done this before so I want to invest a minimal amount of
money to start to see if it is something that I love or not, so a $65
and up lap hoop is not in the budget at this time. Any help, suggestions
and information regarding this endeavor will be very appreciated. Thank
you and have a great day!


~Michelle




--
mlh510

I would suggest you look at an embroidery hoop, and then a rug hoop. An
smaller embroidery hoop isn't strong enough to hold the burlap tight. The
rug hoop is made much stronger. Many years ago I knew someone who hooked
rugs, using strips of wool cloth and she did not use a hoop. She won local
awards for her rugs. So if you decide you can not afford to buy a hoop,
then don't use one and don't worry about it!
Lots of people don't use a hoop and place the burlap on a craft table in
front of them. My friend, a teacher, took hers to school and hooked during
her lunch break, just holding it in her lap.
Barbara in SC



"mlh510" wrote in message
...

Hello,

What is the difference between a quilting hoop and an embroidery hoop? I
want to start a new project and am just brainstorming now and find
myself in unfamiliar territory. What I want to do is make hanging wall
art using wool yarn and the wool rug hooking technique on burlap or
course linen (this type of backing or something similar). I have never
done any of this or used any of the tools or materials that I need to
accomplish this, other than crocheting with yarn. I need a hoop that
will hold my material taught and give me easy access to both top and
bottom of the base material at all times, is easy to use and relocate
the hoop for large projects and doesn't ruin the yarn when tightened at
relocation. I'm thinking I will need at least an 18" hoop. I need
something functional, easy to use, durable and inexpensive. Like I said,
I've never done this before so I want to invest a minimal amount of
money to start to see if it is something that I love or not, so a $65
and up lap hoop is not in the budget at this time. Any help, suggestions
and information regarding this endeavor will be very appreciated. Thank
you and have a great day!


~Michelle




--
mlh510

On Jul 31, 12:24*pm, mlh510 wrote:
Hello,

What is the difference between a quilting hoop and an embroidery hoop? I
want to start a new project and am just brainstorming now and find
myself in unfamiliar territory. What I want to do is make hanging wall
art using wool yarn and the wool rug hooking technique on burlap or
course linen (this type of backing or something similar). I have never
done any of this or used any of the tools or materials that I need to
accomplish this, other than crocheting with yarn. I need a hoop that
will hold my material taught and give me easy access to both top and
bottom of the base material at all times, is easy to use and relocate
the hoop for large projects and doesn't ruin the yarn when tightened at
relocation. I'm thinking I will need at least an 18" hoop. I need
something functional, easy to use, durable and inexpensive. Like I said,
I've never done this before so I want to invest a minimal amount of
money to start to see if it is something that I love or not, so a $65
and up lap hoop is not in the budget at this time. Any help, suggestions
and information regarding this endeavor will be very appreciated. Thank
you and have a great day!

~Michelle

--
mlh510

Michelle,
I've not used a hoop when doing the minimal amount of 'rug hooking'
that I've done in the past. I will say - check JoAnn's fabrics if
there's one nearby( NAYY). They do have a variety of styles and their
prices can be pretty cheap. I use a basic wood 'quilting' hoop for my
hand quilting and for roughly $2-4 each, it doesn't pay me to spend
lots of $$ for a 'good' hoop. Their basic wood ones work peachy for
me and last at least several years before the 'head' breaks and I need
to replace it. I can buy tons of those over the years for the $50 or
better that a 'quilting' hoop is going to cost me. Just my experience
and 2 cents.

Kim in NJ

OK. This is my experience.

Jot down what your needs are. Do you need to keep the stuff taut, or
flat, or still? Do you need to keep flipping it over to get at the
back (so managability is your criterion)? Do you want/need to use
both hands at once? What stitches/techniques are you going to use.

Then you have your choices:

1) Nothing.
Advantages: Cost = $0; Ability to get at any part of the work at any
time. Portability.
Disadvantages: Awkward to use both hands to stitch at once (though it
is certainly possible)

2) Embroidery hoop: (round and thin)
Ads: Fairly cheap; easy to obtain; great for small and/or/ light
pieces; keeps thin stuff taut; still; with access to back; possible to
use two hands; easy portability.
Dis: Thick fabric or thick worked areas can lose tension or get
marked; heavyweight fabric is too heavy; need to move a big piece
frequently especially is stitches or patterns are big.

3) Round quilting hoop: (round and deep; sometimes called a tambour)
Ads: mid-price; easy to obtain; strong enough to carry heavyweight
fabric; then same advantages as embroidery hoop. possible to exchange
outside ring for bungy cord if the need is to keep work still and to
use both hands, but tautness not an issue
Dis: thick fabrics and work areas can get crushed ( always remove such
at the end of a session to prevent this); square pieces can be
difficult to tension without pulling which can distort the grain (not
always, but sometimes); the depth of the ring can get in the way.

4) Q-Snap or other pipe-based system:
Ads: variable sizes using the same componants; can be made floor
standing; easy to move fabric about; rectangular; can deal with thick
fabrics; tension can be tweaked from stitch to stitch if desired (by
turning the clamping rods); demountable for portability
Dis: not cheap; not so easy to obtain (not in UK, anyway); need to
retighten the clamps periodically (boiling water and some string);
cand get a bit unwieldy on big pieces; if you go floor frame, no
access to underside; the pipes can be a bit deep as above, especially
on the floor version.

5) Slate frames (4 flat pieces joined together, not two sides and two
rollers)
Ads: keeps everything taut, flat and accessable; easy to use two
hands; can be made any size.
Dis: can be expensive (not always, and you could make one yourself at
a pinch); should be bigger than the piece you are working on(!) but
again this CAN be got round, especially for carpet making, but it
entails pins (or nails; or clamps) and is a nuisance; big pieces,
ergo, are awkward to manhandle.

6) Rug frames
Ads: Made for keeping things taut and tensioned
Dis: Expensive (the ones I've seen); big; can't get easily to the
back; static.

Try some out if you can. But first determine what you want this
contraption to do. Start in your hand and see where the frustrations
occur and let the hoop/frame address those. Any one of the above
could be ideal for you, but only you will know which. And before you
go on any recommendation, remember that these things are as personal
as the peron who uses them. One of my grandparents swore that quilts
should only be made 'in-hand' where the other wouldn't pick up a
needle without a frame. It's (I'm afraid) horses for courses.

I use loads of frames for my work, and none, it so depends on what I
am doing and what I need to achieve.

Hope this helps (rather than muddies the waters too much)

Nel
(Gadget Queeen)

Going down some dirt roads here - Back when burlap wallhangings were the
'in' decorator thing (even before macramé, I'm thinking), I made a sort of
hoop for my burlap. I basted a scrap edge to the burlap and stapled it to a
big wooden picture frame from the attic or junk yard.
When the production was complete, the temporary edge to the burlap was
removed. No costs at all.
My other memory of that venture was that burlap stinks. Does it still?
and can anything be done about it. Polly