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What size hoop should I choose?
To display an embroidery in its hoop, the circle must hold the whole design, with a little breathing room around it. Enter its size in stitches and the fabric.
- Round hoops from 4 to 12 inches
- Drawn to scale
- Aida or linen
Stitching in a hoop or displaying in it
For stitching, the hoop doesn’t need to hold the whole design: you move it as you go, and a 6- to 8-inch hoop is comfortable in the hand. This calculator is for the other use: displaying the finished embroidery in its hoop, like a frame.
The design must then fit in the circle: it’s the diagonal that counts, not the width. A 60 × 60 design on 14-count Aida is 4.3 inches (10.9 cm) wide and 6.1 inches (15.4 cm) across the diagonal; with 0.8 inch (2 cm) of space on each side, you need a hoop of at least 7.6 inches (19.4 cm), so an 8-inch (20 cm) hoop.
Common store sizes: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 inches (10 to 30 cm). Beyond 12 inches, think of an oval hoop or a frame. In the studio, the 3D hoop preview flags stitches that stick out.
To go further than this tool: the free cross stitch software stixiva draws, converts and prints your charts, online or on Windows, and its Stitch mode tracks your stitches as you work.
Why the diagonal?
A rectangle fits in a circle when its four corners do: so the diameter has to be larger than the design’s diagonal, not just its width.
My design is round, what should I choose?
For a round design or a wreath, its width is enough: choose a hoop slightly larger than its diameter, with an inch or so of breathing room.
What about a design that’s too big?
Beyond 12 inches (30 cm), an oval hoop, a frame or a scroll frame works better. For stitching, a small hoop moved along as you go is enough.
See your embroidery in its hoop
The studio shows your chart in a round or oval hoop in 3D, and flags anything that sticks out.
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