Redwork: Do you need to use a hoop?
I am working on one of Crabapple Hill's redwork designs, Winter Wonderland to be specific, only I am doing it in blue. I started out using a hoop to do the thread work using the stabbing method. This seems to be slow and tedious. So, I tried doing some without the hoop and was able to do a ... er, ummm, ... don't know what to call it .... maybe a running stitch where I keep the needle on the top of the piece all the time. This was quicker for me and seemed easier too. So I am wondering if this method will come back to haunt me in the end? Will my fabric end up being pulled in places and not lie flat? Any redworkers out there who can give me a bit of insight as to whether this will work out for me or do I need to go back to the hoop? Thanks for any info. KLO (not JLO!!!)