Hoop-di-do Cross Stitch Gift Ideas

This week I have been posting about stocking stuffer ideas for stitchers. Of course, if you aren’t shopping for many stitchers this year, you can always add them to your wish list and leave it about for those who shop for YOU to find!

This item is one of my favorites. The Clover hoop, which comes in size small, which is 4 3/4 inches and size large, which is 7 inches. I personally started out with the smaller size and added the larger size to my collection recently. These hoops were designed for embroidery, so they hold the fabric snugly with a lip. There’s also this lovely feature – the hoop tightener is designed so that it doesn’t catch the floss.

These hoops are very sturdy, they are plastic so they are easily cleaned and don’t leave hoop marks like wooden hoops. I highly recommend the hoops and they are what I personally use. In case you wonder – I have no personal connection with Clover and I purchased both hoops and did not receive them for review.

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Christmas Stocking Cross Stitch Patterns

One of the most common supplies for cross stitch, aside from fabric, needles and floss, is an embroidery hoop. A hoop isn’t needed for every project, and indeed there are some stitchers who prefer not to use them at all. I generally don’t use a hoop when I’m working on a small cross stitch project, especially something that’s shape isn’t conducive to using a hoop (like a bookmark).

But embroidery hoops can be really helpful for cross stitch because they hold your fabric at an even tension, which allows you to stitch more evenly without any more work on your part. It’s great for beginners to use hoops because the tension on the fabric can both help make your stitches more even and make the holes in the fabric a little easier to see.

I’ll admit to always just buying whatever hoop is available in the right size when I’m ready to start a project without giving it much more thought than that. But there are things you should consider when choosing among the different kinds of hoops, which Caterpillar Cross Stitch covers in their great guide to embroidery hoops.

The post walks you through wooden, plastic, spring tension and flexi hoops (which I’ll admit to having never heard of; they’re made of vinyl and plastic apparently), as well as Q-Snap frames, which aren’t really hoops because they’re made of plastic tubes that you snap together in the size and shape you need.

It also covers what size hoop you should use for the project you’re working on and how to actually use a hoop in the right way.

Whether you’re new to cross stitch or more seasoned, you’re sure to pick up a tip or a product to try in this post, so go check it out over at Caterpillar Cross Stitch.

Do you have a favorite kind of embroidery hoop to use for cross stitch, or do you go without? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

[Photo: Caterpillar Cross Stitch]

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