Help Please

When you say "marks," do you mean they remain even after you've laundered and pressed your pillow cases?

In any case, I suggest wrapping your bottom hoop with strips of cotton cloth (I keep a bolt of $1/yard white cotton for emergencies--I even used some of it to bandage my husband's hand when we couldn't get gauze right away).

This is a trick Dianne taught me, and it works particularly well with linen so I don't suppose it will work any less well with cotton.

Even easier to cover the inner ring with bias tape.

snipped-for-privacy@webtv.net,in rec.crafts.textiles.needleworkwrote: and entertained us with

The hoop should not leave any marks providing you remove it when you are not working on the stitching. When you finish, just wash the pillowcase and all will be well.

If you can get some Q-snaps, they are wondeful. Basically an sdjustable frame of PVC tubing, that is clamped down with ....oh heck, can't explain very well. here is a link.

can take parts of one set, and make another size. e'g' 2 pieces from the 6 inch, and 2 parts from the 8 inch will give you a 6x8 frame. Great things, can be found most anyplace, particularly in Michaels, Walmart, Joanns etc.

Gillian

You received some great advice already. Hoops do not leave permanent crease marks. They might leave some residue if the hoops are old and have been used a lot, or if they're poorly made. They *might* leave crease marks if you leave the hoop in one area for very long periods of time and the fabric contains nylon, polyester, or other man-made fiber. I don't remove hoops overnight or for a few days.

In order for hoops to help make the fabric taut, it is a good idea to wrap either the bottom or the top hoop (or both). Wrap with 100% cotton bias tape. The cheaper polyester draws dirt like a magnet. If you can't find good bias tape, use narrow strips of torn muslin. Wrap on a diagonal and sew the last end down. Neatness isn't a factor, just whip the end down to the cloth.

Use a hoop small enough to get your fingers to the center. Makes for smoother, easier stitching for some stitches. A six-inch is about the largest I use for hand embroidery. Don't worry about putting the hoop over previous stitching. Won't hurt a thing. Once your piece is washed and ironed (iron embroidery face down on terry toweling), you'll never see those creases. If necessary, iron while damp.

You might find this helpful:

I don't like QSnaps at all. They just don't hold the fabric taut enough and I was constantly adjusting them. It quickly became far more trouble than it was worth. I ended up giving them away. They have since been given to several other people down the line.

Give me a good old fashioned wooden hoop anytime. They keep things taut and I have never had any of mine leave any marks. Creases, yes, but that is easily washed out.

Or for the truly lazy (not me, hah ) before I switched to Q-snaps - just put some tissue paper between the cloth and hoop. Works fine.

Ellice

Paper towel works too. Ask me how I know that??? lol

LOL - I feel like the puzzle queen at times with my Q-snaps. I seem to have had one in each of the main sizes, then of course due to my affinity for multi-WIPs got a 2nd in the 8" & 11", and then well - saw some "discontinued" sale in the local Hancock Fabric when it was changing from Minnesota - so just had to buy a couple more (though who knows where they are in the move). But, I do find that having a few sizes lets me customize them into different rectangular shapes, that work. DH has had a good laugh when I was setting up a couple of projects a couple of months back - and found 10 segments -then had to play around to fit up what I needed - especially when the plug ends had come out.

But, I do love them much more than hoops, - and use them for almost everything on fabric . Have stretcher bars and scroll rods for the NP stuff on canvas.

ellice