In the last few months I've asked similar questions at this forum, but I'm still trying to decide on the type of hoop that will suit me the best. The lap stand hoops are expensive compared to a regular hoop you hold, so I want to find out as much as a I can before making the purchase. Unfortunately none of the local quilt shops sell them or I would try before buying. Any of you disappointed after buying a lap stand? What brands have you tried that you like, or dislike? Thanks for your help!

My favorite hoop is a lap hoop that swivels on a wooden ball. Can't find mine online anymore; the one most similar to it is the Grace lap hoop.

Prior to the lap hoop I tried hand quilting using a regular hoop, hand quilting without a hoop, hand quilting on the PVC floor frame. With the regular hoop, I didn't like having to juggle the hoop while using both hands. Without a hoop, my stitches weren't as nice. The floor frame was too hard on my back.

I had also tried a lap hoop that did not have a swivel adjustment; the hoop was mounted on 3 supports. This was not nearly as nice as the one with the wooden ball swivel because the supports interfered with hand placement underneath.

I had also tried a relatively inexpensive floor standing hoop. Mine was both difficult in terms of trying to change an adjustment and in getting an adjustment to hold. More expensive floor standing hoops I'm sure have better systems for that. However, I also did not like the amount of floor space it needed and the awkwardness involved in either moving the hoop or moving myself around the floor part of the hoop.

In short, then, my highest recommendation is for a lap hoop that is mounted on a ball and that allows infinite adjustments in all directions. This kind of lap hoop really makes hand quilting a pleasure as long as the adjustments are easy to make and hold, because you can quickly change it to suit whatever angle and direction is easiest for you at the time. Also, it is quick and easy to set aside when you want to get up and move around.

I hand quilt, and at first I did it by holding it. Then I got a floor standing frame. I loved it. I can do much better if not holding frame. I did get a lap one, but it isn't steady for me. so I am back to the floor one.

Prism99
Is the hoop that you like anything like the one sold at Keepsake Quilting? I have looked at it and the Grace one that you mentioned. The one at keepsake is much less expensive but if it is not as well made then I would be willing to spend more on the Grace hoop. Thankyou so much for your reply

Redrummy
Can you tell me the brand of both the lap hoop that you didn't like so much and the floor frame that you use.
Thanks, Roselady

I have a floor standing hoop with quite thin 'feet' which slot under the couch; This means that I can get it quite close to me. I have to sit a little bit forward but with a cushion behind me, it doesn't hurt my back at all (although I am susceptible to back and neck trouble from an old whiplash injury);

Can't comment on a lap hoop I'm afraid because I've never tried one, but I love my floor hoop!!

K x

I can't use a hoop at all. I always need extra hands.
I just find it too awkward. :roll:

I have a hoop with a floor stand. I love it. It holds the weight of the quilt for me. Before I put a quilt in it for the first time, I sat with it and made the necessary adjustments until I found what worked for me. Then I was off and quilting.

Kara

I use a hoop, but not on a stand. I like more freedom to move myself and the quilt around. As you can see...this is more a personal prefernce thing :D

Hi,

I have two floor hoops. One is round and made by Hintenburg I believe. It is a 30 inch circle on a central post that has three legs. It tilts in any direction. It cost between $100 and $150. I sit in a wingback arm chair with the post between my legs and tilt the hoop into my lap. It works well for me. My other hoop is made by Grace and is a rounded off square that is mounted on an arm that sticks out from a post also with three legs. It also has a swivel lamp mounted on the top of it that I can swing over my work area. The main problem I have with it is the area where the arm projects. The bulk of the quilt gets hung up in that area when a rotate the hoop. It was less that $200. I ordered it from the Grace company when they vended at a show I attended. They gave me free shipping and the lamp for free for purchasing at the show. I currently have a quilt on each hoop. One is in my family room in the basement which we only use when we start a fire in the woodstove. That happens at least three days a week this time of the year. The second is in our upstairs TV room. I currently have both quilts at least half way finished. There is a hoop available that looks like a large embroidery hoop that has three legs and a wooden board underneath. There is plenty of room between the hoop and the board to reach under the top with your underneath hand. You can also rotate the hoop around. The whole thing sits in your lap and supports the weight of the quilt. I have a friend who is also a handquilter for hire whose work has won awards that uses one all of the time. They can be purchased also. I have seen them at big shows. When I take small items, wallhangings, pillows etc to a bee or on a trip with me I use a plastic PCP pipe frame as it is collapseable and portable.
Experiment, borrow from a friend or get a shop to let you play with one on display. Find what suits you the best.

That's it! That's my hoop!!!

I bought mine at a quilt show directly from the guy who had designed and made it. It seemed very expensive at the time, but I love love love it. I saw it later in the Keepsake catalog, but when I looked online I thought it was Connecting Threads that had it.

I actually think this hoop could be better than the Grace lap hoop because there are only two supports; nothing gets in the way of positioning the underneath hand. It is easy to tilt the hoop to any angle by loosening and tightening a single wing nut. It is a very fast adjustment and I've never had any problem with slippage; no need to over-tighten.

The base is just heavy enough to sit comfortably in my lap without moving around. My prior lap hoop was very lightweight and, as I mentioned before, the three fixed supports were often in the way of my underneath hand.

If you get this hoop, I think you will be very happy with it. My only regret is that our late German Shepherd used mine as a teething ring one day. It still works fine, but doesn't look as lovely as it once did. Come to think of it, sort of like me.......

That's the beauty of using a lap hoop or floor hoop. They remove the need for that third hand to hold the hoop. :D

Do you mind telling me the brand of your hoop on a stand?
Thanks so much, Roselady

Thanks for your help, what is the brand of your hoop?
Roselady

Sorry roselady but I've no idea :oops:

My Mum got it for me Christmas a year ago and it's not mentioned anywhere. I do know she got it in France though, but that's not very helpful, is it? The main thing I would say is if you want to sit on the couch to quilt, make sure the feet will slide underneath!

K x

Qsnap is the floor model, it is a plastic pipe set that can be taken apart for storage. I only remember that the lap one was bought at Joanns, and is wooden.

Is this the hoop at Keepsake Quilting for $84.99? Thanks

Yes, that's the one!

Thanks!! :wink:

Kara, what brand is your floor stand hoop? I'm trying to find out about as many as I can before I choose. Thanks, Roselady

I can't seem to find the hoop at Keepsake Quilting that you are mentioning.

I'm only finding 2 hand hoops. :(

I think this is the one she's talking about: http://www.keepsakequilting.com/productdetail/9113.htm

Thanks!!

That does look like a great hoop to use!!

thanks roselady for posting thread. :)
Prism99, as always, you give the best information! are you an instructor?
should be, you rock at it! :D
got lots of info from all. I have fibro. so this will help me immensely. great post! :)

The name on mine that I bought at a quilt show is Jean's Impressions Portable Lap Frame. It is the one with the 3 short spindles and the platform that sits on your lap. Her website is www.jeansimpressions.com
if you are interested in looking at one. It is nice because it holds the quilt off your lap. Mine is about 15 inches in diameter but I believe they have a 12 and 14" or something like that as well. It is nice for me because living in Southern California and hand quilting in the summer, the last thing you want is a quilt laying on your lap.

I do Hawaiian applique' quilting and have used a Grace lap quilt that swivels. I have been very happy with it. I found it easy to adjust both the position and the firmness of the hold.

Hi Roselady! In answer to your ? about lap quilting frame. I Have one made by Jean Brown and I JUST LOPVE IT!!!! Yes it was a little spendy, but it is an absolute dream to use. The height is just right and the size is great! I get too tired leaning over a regular quilt frame and this baby suits my needs Hope you find one you like. She mailed mine to me as I couldn't find one locally. if you wans more info let me know

Froggy

JoAnns has the Grace hoop on sale this week....

OK -- I've looked at the Grace frames and at the one at Keepsake Quilting. I don't see much difference -- am I missing something???

Also, how big a quilt can you do with a lap frame?????

Thanks!

I haven't used the Grace lap hoop, but someone else posted they have one and like it. They are both based on the swivel ball, so there may not be a lot of difference. Biggest visible difference is that the Grace has a squarish hoop; honestly don't know if that is an advantage or not. All I know is that I love the one from Keepsake Quilting.

You can do any size quilt in a lap hoop. Once you have finished quilting the area inside the hoop, you loosen the hoop and re-position the quilt to a new area.

After reading all your posts, I wonder if I should try putting my Jeans Impressions hoop on a lazy susan to ease the amount of having to pick up and repositioning it on my lap. Hmmmmm now let me try that and see if it works.

I have used the PVC frame for the last 20 years and it works for me. It's easy to move the fabric and I can take it from room to room and in the car.I can take off a side to get close to the corners or an end. I noticed no one else uses them so there must be drawbacks I'm not aware of. I used to have a large frame and it was nice to quilt on but it took up so much room and you had to stay in one spot to quilt. Moving it around was a major project. And my back got tired being in one spot for so long.I sold it in a garage sale when we moved to FL and I could have sold it 20 times. I'll have to look into the standing hoops everyone is talking about.

ok, I am very interested in the one at Keepsake Quilting. Can't remember who had one. What I need to know is, do you have any problems on edges and corners with it? thanks.
P.S. is the one at joann's that is on sale, the same one that Keepsake Quilting has? I am going to joann's on tuesday.

I don't know what hoop Joann's has on sale. If it doesn't have a wooden ball that it swivels on, it is not the same as the Keepsake Quilting hoop. KQ may have exclusive rights to that design; I don't know.

There are different ways to treat edges and corners when you are quilting with a hoop. What I used to do was machine baste extra fabric along the edge so I would have something to hoop. However, Keepsake sells a half-hoop adapter so you don't need to do that. It's been so long since I used that, I can't remember how it works, but I think it had a cloth leader so I could pin the edge the leader.

wow, basting on more fabric, how clever.
Grace is a good company so I am going to look at the one at joann's, but making sure that it will swivel. I need all the help I can get.
thanks for more info, Prism99. :)

Hi Everybody!

Thanks so much for all of your replys. A couple of months ago I saw the lap hoop from Keepsake quilting on ebay, but I didn't bid on it because I didn't know anything about it, it sold for $25.00 I think. That is when I thought to ask about it from all of you. Last week another one showed up on ebay, and I bid on it and won it for $45.00 with shipping and all. That very day after winning it, a Jasmine easy spinner hoop on a stand with border bars was listed on ebay, that being my dream hoop. I never really thought I would have one since they retail for $500.00. I was the only bidder on that for $200.00. So now I am waiting for my hoops to come and I can't wait!!!

roselady,

When it rains, it pours! If you think of it, I'd enjoy a review of how the two hoop systems compare once you've had a chance to try them out.