$179????is it made of gold and to hang in a frame on the wall???
sorry- that just really took my breath away---that's a huge amount of money to spend on an embroidery hoop???
maybe you need to add Leaders---an extra layer of fabric under the (holders)?
when i am embroidering with my $5 snap frame hoops often i have to add muslin around the edges to give the snap on holders a bit more to hold on to.