A Round Up of Our Favorite Embroidery Hoops

Hoop there it is! Join us as we explore different types of embroidery hoops and discover what each one can bring to your embroidery projects.

Along the way, you’ll find examples and helpful videos so you can see these hoops in action and learn more about what they’re capable of.  

 

Magnetic Embroidery Hoop:

Magnetic hoops work by clamping your fabric in place with one or more magnets. They are easy to use by just laying your fabric down and placing the magnets in place, no forcing or adjusting needed. Magnetic embroidery hoops are a great alternative to traditional hoops, especially if tightening screws leaves your hands feeling tired and store. 

The Magnetic hoop design allows for even pressure to be applied across the entire hoop, meaning: 

• Fabric stays taut longer

• Embroidery stitch quality improves

• Beginners get better results faster

Another advantage embroiderers love is how close you can stitch to the edge. Without that inner clamp in the way, you get a little more flexibility around your embroidery design.

With standard hoops, on certain fabrics tightening can degrade fibers and leave hoop marks or burn, especially on delicate fabrics, finished garments, and even quilted layers.

 

Magnetic hoops clamp down, rather than crush, which:

• Reduces marking

• Preserves fabric integrity

• Makes them ideal for higher-end or finished projects

There are a variety of Magnetic Hoops now available, some with a full magnetic clamp down piece, and others that have multiple smaller magnets around the frame, which make it even easier to use and adjust as needed.

Magnetic Hoops generally allow for easier and faster hooping, with more even pressure across the hoop.  A few tradeoffs we need to mention, is Magnetic Hoops generally cost more than traditional hoops, some can be slightly heavier, and should not be used by anyone with a Pacemaker due to the use of Magnets. 

In general, most users who try a Magnetic Embroidery Hoop do not go back to a standard hoop. 

Watch as Alyssa show us why everyone loves BERNINA's Magnetic Hoop!

 

 

Continuous and Border Hoops:

Have you ever wanted to create a seamless border on a blanket, table cloth, shower curtain, shirt, etc? A Continuous Border hoop helps you to easily achieve embroidery of a seamless border.

When you embroider a border with a standard hoop, you stitch one section and then re-hoop your fabric, and try to line up the next section manually. That’s where things can go wrong. Misalignment often leads to gaps between repeats, overlaps, and crooked or drifting borders. Even small misalignments become noticeable over a long edge. A continuous border hoop is designed to let you advance the fabric in controlled, repeatable increments without losing alignment.

Using a Continuous or Border Hoop ensures each new section you are embroidering starts in precisely the right spot as the fabric stays aligned as you move along the edge. With the board hoops’ registration marks or alignment guides, there’s no guesswork when re-hooping.  Using the proper tool for embroidering along your borders results in dramatically fewer mistakes and professional-looking results at home.

Baby Lock Continuous Border Hoop (4-in x 7-in) - BLSO-BF – Aurora Sewing Center

Baby Lock Continuous Border Hoop (4-in x 12-in) - BLMA-CBH – Aurora Sewing Center

Multi-Needle Embroidery Machine Continuous Border Hoop

 

Multi-Needle 11 3/4-in X 4-in Border Embroidery Frame - ENBF

Brother 12" x 4" Border Frame - Multi-needle Series - PRPBF1

An Alternative:  BERNINA Medium Border Magnetic Embroidery Hoop 6.25" x 15.75"

 

Sticky Hoop: 

Next, we have Sticky Hoops. This style hoop is a flat metal frame that uses an adhesive stabilizer such as Floriani’s Perfect Stick or OESD’s StableStick stabilizers to keep your projects in place. Your project, or fabric is pressed on to the sticky stabilizer surface, and there is no clamping. As a result, there’s no distortion. This style embroidery hoop is perfect for knit fabrics, lightweight fabrics, finished garments, and terry cloth.  Your fabrics are pressed flat, and lay flat and are not stretched so there is no pulling and wrapping.  

Sticky Hoops are perfect for hard to hoop items, such as:

• Shirt collars

• Jacket backs

• Onesies

• Pockets

• Small or awkward pieces

Instead of forcing them into a hoop, you just let the sticky back stabilizer do the work and you stick your project down exactly where you want.

BERNINA Free Arm Hoop: 

Tired of taking apart bags, shirts, hoodies, and more just to embroider them? Say goodbye to seam ripping and frustration with the BERNINA Free Arm Hoop, your new favorite solution for machine embroidery on finished projects!

The BERNINA Free Arm Hoop is a game-changer for anyone who loves embroidery but struggles with hard-to-hoop items. Traditional embroidery hoops require flat fabric, which makes it nearly impossible to work with tubular items like sleeves, pant legs, tote bags, cuffs, and pillowcases. That’s where this innovative hoop shines.

Designed specifically for use with the BERNINA free arm embroidery machine, this hoop allows the free arm to slide inside your project while the hoop secures the fabric from the outside. The result? You can easily embroider closed items without taking them apart, no seam ripping, no extra prep, and no stress.

Whether you're personalizing gifts, adding logos to apparel, or creating custom embroidery designs, the BERNINA Free Arm Hoop helps you:

• Save time on project prep

• Reduce mistakes and fabric damage

• Expand your embroidery capabilities

• Work confidently on tricky, hard-to-hoop items

Perfect for:

• Tote bags

• Shirt sleeves

• Hoodie pockets

• Pant legs

• Pillowcases

• And more!

If you’ve ever thought, “I can’t embroider that,” this hoop proves you absolutely can.

Pre-Order: BERNINA Large Freearm Embroidery Hoop – Aurora Sewing Center

Still not convinced? Watch our owner Alyssa demonstrate just how easy it is by embroidering an adorable tote bag, no disassembly required!

Durkee Name Frames: 

Looking for a fast, professional way to personalize names on ribbons, straps, and more? The Durkee Name Frame for machine embroidery is the perfect solution for creating clean, consistent lettering on narrow and hard-to-hoop projects!

If you’ve ever struggled with keeping small or long items straight in a traditional embroidery hoop, the embroidery Name Frame takes away the guesswork. Designed specifically for embroidering names on ribbons, webbing, and straps, this tool allows you to hoop multiple items at once, saving time while improving accuracy and alignment.

The Name Frame is ideal for high-volume embroidery projects and small personalization jobs alike. Whether you're creating custom gifts, team gear, or boutique items, this frame helps you achieve polished, professional results every time.

With the Durkee Name Frame, you can easily embroider on:

• Name tapes and ribbons

• Dog collars and pet leashes

• Keychains and wristlets

• Karate belts and web belts

• Purse straps and bag handles

• Pageant sashes and award ribbons

Because it securely holds multiple items in place, the Name Frame helps reduce shifting, puckering, and uneven stitching common issues when working with narrow materials. That means less waste, fewer mistakes, and more confidence in every project.

Perfect for embroidery businesses, hobbyists, and anyone who loves adding a personal touch, the embroidery Name Frame system is a must-have tool for efficient, high-quality customization.

Take your personalized embroidery projects to the next level and make every name stand out with ease!

 

Durkee NAME FRAME for Baby Lock or Brother single needle embroidery machines

Durkee NAME FRAME for Baby Lock or Brother Multi-Needle embroidery machines

Hat/Cap Frames: 

Ready to take your hat embroidery to the next level? With embroidery hoops for hats and caps, you can easily create clean, professional designs on one of the most popular (and traditionally tricky) items to stitch!

Whether you're working with a single-needle embroidery machine or a multi-needle embroidery machine, the right cap embroidery hoop makes all the difference. Hats and caps have curved surfaces and structured fronts, which can make them difficult to hoop with standard embroidery frames. That’s why specialty hat hoops and cap frames are designed to securely hold caps in place while maintaining proper tension and alignment.

These hoops are essential for anyone looking to expand into custom hat embroidery, helping you achieve crisp, centered designs on everything from baseball caps to structured hats and visors.

With the right hat embroidery hoop, you can:

• Easily hoop curved and structured caps

• Maintain proper alignment for logos and designs

• Reduce shifting, puckering, and misalignment

• Improve efficiency for both small batches and bulk orders

Perfect for embroidering:

• Baseball caps

• Snapbacks

• Trucker hats

Ideal for embroidery businesses, team apparel, promotional products, and personalized gifts, cap embroidery hoops are a must-have tool for creating high-quality, professional results.

If you’ve been avoiding hats because they seem intimidating, the right hoop will give you the confidence to stitch them with ease, and open the door to a whole new category of custom embroidery projects!

BERNINA Sock Hoop Insert: 

Lastly, but definitely not least, check out this fun BERNINA sock hoop! It’s a great way to add a little personality to your socks, whether you’re stitching something for the holidays or just adding a fun, custom touch.

The BERNINA Sock Hoop Insert turns one of the hardest-to-hoop, most frustrating items (socks) into one of the easiest, most repeatable embroidery projects.  

Trying to embroider socks with a standard hoop leads to fabric stretching and twisting, and it becomes a mess without the right tool! 

The BERNINA Sock Inserts go inside your Medium Hoop to create a firm, stable surface and proper support for embroidery on socks!  These inserts can also be used for baby clothes too! 

Watch as Alyssa demonstrates how amazing the sock hoop is!

 

BERNINA Sock Hoop Insert Set for BERNINA Medium Hoop – Aurora Sewing Center

There are lots of available embroidery hoops out there, and depending on what you are trying to stitch, there may be several options.  Choosing the right embroidery hoop for your project will allow you to successfully embroider your projects. Stop in or give us a call so we can answer your questions!