I'm a Hooper

Yep, a hoop-er. I hoop my embroidery, I hoop my quilting. I tried being all free, but it just wasn't for me. I've been experimenting with hoop size since I started my foray into big stitch quilting: 

the participants: 

 As you can see, I have a hoop or two (or 5)

Round, oval, square, big and little....I've got them all!

 23" round

9 x 21 oval

22" round free standing

14" round, heavy duty

 The newbie, as of yesterday, 11" square q-snap

Conclusions:

If I did traditional one hand on top, one hand underneath quilting, the free standing hoop would be great. That is how I used to quilt, but I have since taken to machine quilting......that was about 13 years ago. (yes, I've had the hoops for a LONG time lol)

The oval and the 23er are just too awkward for how I quilt. Small hands, short arms, just not for me.


I will be keeping the 14" hoop because that is what I do 90% of my quilting with and it's portable.
I will keep the q-snap because of it's shape and the way I can do the edges with it

My next hoop will be something like this:

I really need something for the borders and edges 

I know I can make some kind of jig to add to the 14" round, but this is so much easier, no?

And if I decide I am going to hand quilt a LOT, I'm going for one of these babies:

 

http://www.graceframe.com/site/hoops/laphoops

Do you hoop? Do you hand quilt? Do you machine quilt? Do you send it out to a pro?

I do both hand and machine, sometimes both on the same quilt.

Would love to send it out to someone I trust, especially the big quilts.

Happy quilting!

ps......I will be getting rid of three hoops asap....if you live in Contra Costa County and want to pick one or all of them up, let me know. If not, I am donating them to my local quilt guild.

Orrrrrr, I just might use one as a frame for some large scale embroidery...HHmmmmmmm, that thought just occurred to me....but the free standing hoop has got to go fer sure.