Where do you start with choosing a hoop or frame for your stitching?  Like many craft supplies, there are so many options for style, material, shape – how do you know what you actually need and what will suit you best?  We have created this guide to give you an idea where to start when choosing the best hoop or frame to help you produce your finished stitched piece.

Download a PDF version of this guide for offline reading.

The craft

The sort of hoop or frame you pick can be influenced by the type of work you’ll be doing.  Most hoops and frames are ideal for cross stitching and embroidery, as they are designed to give good tension across your fabric.  You might find that you need something sturdier for punch needling, as you will need to put a little more pressure on your fabric in this needlecraft hobby.  Wider hoops with a larger tightening mechanism, and plastic snap frames are better at holding your fabric firmly so you can work without worrying about your fabric loosening and distorting.

The way you work can also inform your choice.  You might prefer a smaller hoop or frame that is easier to grip to prevent strain on your hands, or you might prefer to see the whole of your project as you are stitching, so the size, shape and material will differ depending on this.

Of course, you can always change your hoop or frame after you have started your project.  If you are finding it difficult to work on a particular piece, or you just never seem to want to stitch on it, it may be helpful to switch to a smaller hoop or frame, or to choose a different shape or type.

The shape

Hoops are available in a number of different shapes, including oval, square and rectangular, but circular is the most popular as it is much easier to keep good tension across the fabric when the edge of the hoop is a consistent distance from the centre.

Plastic snap frames come in a range of sizes and can be “mixed and matched” together to give additional sizes.  Long sides and short sides can also be combined to change squares into rectangles.  Each “side” has a right-angled joint at one end, enabling them to be clipped together at the corners.

What they are made from

Wood: For some stitchers, the traditional wooden hoop is the most useful.  You can tighten the outer hoop to grip your fabric; you can use them for cross stitch, embroidery and punch needling; and you can even use it to frame and display your project when you have finished it.  However, some find that the grip of a wooden hoop is not quite enough to ensure consistent pressure on your fabric to provide the tension you need.  There is a limit to how far you can tighten the screw fittings, as too much can split the wood and ruin the hoop.  Additionally, you may find them more fragile, and therefore more likely to break, when travelling.

Wooden needlework frames (which are also referred to as scroll frames or bars) usually have a screw tightening mechanism, to enable easy construction and stability, and two of the sides will rotate.  Your needlework fabric is clipped or stitched along two opposite edges and can be rolled up onto one of the sides.  This method allows large pieces to be worked on without placing hoops or clips over the stitched work.

Plastic: Plastic and rubber hoops are a more modern choice for those who don’t want to keep tightening an outer hoop. Some plastic hoops have a clip-in mechanism, and some have a rubber outer hoop.  These mean that no tightening is necessary as your needlework fabric is gripped by the texture of the hoop, rather than simply squeezed between two layers. These hoops can easily be adjusted whenever necessary, by pulling your fabric around the edge to restore correct tension. However, you might find that adjustments need to be made more often as plastics are likely to be smoother, causing your fabric to slide.  While this can make damage to your fabric less likely, it can also make maintaining constant tension more difficult and, possibly, frustrating.

Plastic snap frames are convenient to use and to store, as they usually break down into sides and angles and can be reconstructed in different sizes and either square or rectangular.  Your fabric is placed over the top of the plastic frame and four clamps are clipped tightly around the frame, which can be turned to adjust tension on your fabric.

You’ll find a mixture of different materials in different structures and it might take some experimentation before you find the type that is right for you.

Fabric

As mentioned, the fabric you use for your craft might affect which hoop or frame you choose to use. The soft and flexible fabrics used for embroidery can sit in pretty much any hoop or frame, but beware of more delicate fabrics that require a more gentle touch. You might find it preferable in these cases to consider which hoop or frame has the best surface to avoid damaging your fabric.  Alternatively, you can wrap your wooden hoop in webbing, which reduces the pressure on your delicate needlework fabric, or use a piece of felt in a snap frame between the clamp and your needlework to protect your work.

Cross stitch patterns come in a grid and require some counting to work out spacing. You might find that a larger hoop or frame allows for a wider view of your work, making it easier to count the spaces and move from section to section without error.

Punch needling is often worked on monks cloth which is flexible and easily placed in a hoop or frame.  However, as the name suggests, punch needling requires you to push your needle fairly hard through the fabric, and some thicker yarn uses much wider needle points.  The regular pressure that is put on the fabric will need a hoop that won’t let the fabric slip, so a simple wood hoop or a frame that is intended for display is not likely to work well.  Make sure you choose something wider and studier with a stronger tightening mechanism.  This also applies for any stitching that uses thick fabric that requires more pressure to get the needle through, e.g. embroidery on denim.

More elastic fabrics are much harder to stitch on – you will need a certain amount of tension to create the stitches in the first place, but if you stretch your fabric too much, you risk creating tiny stitches that wrinkle and fold up once the fabric is released. You’ll need a hoop or frame that makes it easier to balance both these things, but we recommend only using stretchy fabric once you are well practised, by which time you will be more familiar with which hoop or frame works best for you.

Common problems

“My fabric dips in the middle as soon as I start stitching!”

Try tightening the screw fitting at the top of your hoop or twisting the clamps on your snap frame – it’s possible the fabric isn’t being held tightly enough.  If it keeps happening, think about the size of hoop or frame you’ve chosen.  When you’re working from the middle outwards, a large hoop or frame will have a harder time keeping good tension in the centre of your fabric.  You could consider switching to a smaller hoop or frame to limit the amount of fabric being held and this should hold good tension for longer.

“The fabric around the edge gets in the way when I’m working.”

You might find it helpful to roll or fold up the edges of your fabric while you work on the project and hold them in place with clips; this can also avoid damage to the fabric in areas you will need to stitch on later.  If you clip the fabric to the edge of your hoop or frame, bear in mind that this will might exert more pressure on the edges, so more delicate frames or hoops could be damaged.

“I’ve used a small hoop on a larger project – is it ok that the frame sits over my stitches?”

If you work on your project a section at a time with a smaller hoop or frame, it’s inevitable that an edge will sit over some stitches every now and then.  As with plain fabric, this can cause indentations and wrinkles, but they are easy to press out and shouldn’t damage your work as long as you’re careful.  You could use a piece of felt on the edge of your plastic frame, between the clamp and your fabric, to protect your stitches.  Be sure to move your hoop or frame gently to avoid pulling stitches, and if you do need to adjust the fabric to create more tension, be gentle when pulling the sides.