Don’t you hate it when the fabric doesn’t fit in the hoop? Recently, I was stitching a faced scallop border on my embroidery machine and the fabric was about 3” too short to fit in the hoop. I find that so frustrating! I didn’t want to waste more fabric so I cut a 3” piece of adhesive water soluble stabilizer then removed 1 ½” of the protective paper. I pressed my fabric strip to the sticky surface. Presto! The fabric strip fit into the embroidery frame and I didn’t have to fill the hoop with fabric or stabilizer. 
Stitching a faced scalloped hem on the embroidery machine is no different than stitching one on a sewing machine. It’s still a running stitch and doesn’t require stabilizer behind the stitches. The difference is the scallops are perfect when you leave the measuring and stitching to the digital precision of an embroidery machine. It works for all kinds of projects: towels, totes, quilts and garments. And now you know how to fill the hoop even if your fabric is too small!
Merry Christmas to you and your family!
16 COMMENTS
Lynda
9 years agoThanks for this tip
Delores Angus
9 years agoNice! Economical.
Gail
9 years agoA great tip! Thank you
Liz
9 years agoA really great tip and one I know I will use! Thank you
Judy Merchant
9 years agoDo you have to use a stabilizer behind fabric all the time or can you just have fabric in the hoop?
eileenroche
9 years ago AUTHORJudy, if your embroidery design resembles sewing a straight line (such as in the sample above), then you do not need stabilizer. If your design has fill stitches, outlines, satin columns or applique, then yes, you will have to use stabilizer. Stabilizer keeps your fabric from puckering and makes embroidery look beautiful. Think of stabilizer as a friend not an enemy!
Karen
9 years agoThanks for sharing.
Sara Redner
9 years agoI haven’t done that, but I have basted a piece of fabric to the end to make it long enough to hoop.
Sherry McCary
9 years agoThanks for this great tip!
Emma
8 years agoGreat tip. Right on time, too.
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Kavita
7 years agoCan you use paper as stabilizer in a crunch.
donna
7 years agoI have.
no. Printing on paper
I used 81/2 by 11. Works great
donna
7 years agolove this tip. thank you
porn
6 years agoHow fun to see these four together! It had for so long been just the three of them. Meghan looks like she fits right in especially in regards to her and Harry seeming like a perfect match while William and Kate have proven they’re a perfect match. Cheers all around! <3This outfit is adorable. Kate is so adorable when pregnant. She looks radiant.
Emma Carpenter
6 years agoThank you. Very useful.