Sewlight

I used to be a member of this forum, changed emails and now I can’t find my old log in information, so I’m new again. I’ve been machine quilting for years but I’m making a baby quilt using high loft batting and it slid around under the foot, and I thought I would add some hand quilting to ease out a few puckers. I can’t find my old hoop, so I bought a 14” plastic Dritz hoop. It doesn’t work. I can’t get the quilt into the rings. I’m going to take it back but I don’t know what to do now. The only stores I can get to are chain fabric stores. The quilt stores have all closed. I wanted to finish the quilt today so I went back to machine quilting but now I want a new hoop for the next project. Any suggestions?

NoraB

I thought I'd seen the larger wooden hoops at JoAnn fabrics. But, other than that, maybe check Walmart. I looked and Walmart.com has an 18" wooden hoop for $10.45 (regularly $12.42) with FREE shipping! Maybe that will work for you. Good luck. I love quilting with the hoop, but, haven't done it in years (still have my hoop though). .

Three Dog Night

I got a 14" wood quilting hoop a few years ago from Amazon,it was around $25. Also check thrift stores, I found a large oval hoop for $1. Have to make sure when searching Amazon that it's A thick quilting hoop and not a thin embroidery hoop.

illinois

I have a 14" hoop that is some sort of plastic (somewhat like pvc). It's brown. Is this what yours is? It has an adjustable top ring much like an embroidery hoop. Love it! I purchased it a number of years ago at JoAnn's but I don't think they have it now. I think they are selling wooden ones now. One of my friends purchased one like mine a couple years ago online and she, too, really likes the hoop.
I have used an oval wooden hoop but much prefer this round one as I can turn it to best advantage when hand quilting.

illinois

After my previous post, I checked online and there is reference to a 14" Dritz hoop that is available from JoAnn's and WalMart. It's like the one I have. Price is decent. Have you adjusted the wing nut on yours? You mentioned you are using a high loft batting and I wonder if that's why you are having issues. It may simply be too thick.

Sewlight

They didn’t have a wooden hoop in the store. Maybe it’s online. I will pull apart my fabric closet and find the old one if I need to use a hoop again. It’s possible the batting was too thick, but I wanted something non allergenic and I didn’t read the label carefully. I have been using cotton batting so long, I forgot the other comes in different thicknesses. This has been a humbling experience, because I’m normally a perfectionist and don’t like making something that is crooked in spots. The woman doesn’t sew and won’t notice little details that I do, so it will be fine. I have a Janome Memory Craft and have never had a problem with stitches before so I knew it wasn’t the machine.

joe'smom

Why couldn't you get the quilt in the plastic hoop?

It's so sad about the quilt shops closing. I got my 12" wooden hoop at my quilt shop, which has been closed for several years now.

quiltedsunshine

I see them a lot at the thrift store. But I'm in Utah....

Sewlight

I put the ring behind the quilt and the outer ring would not fit over it. I had to open it at far as it would go, then force it down. I’m going to try it on an another quilt with cotton batting to see if it’s the thickness that caused it. Once I finally got it situated, I couldn’t make small enough stitches. I am using new quilting needles and they aren’t the same as the brand I used to use, but I don’t have any of those old ones left.

It’s so sad all our fabric stores closed. I don’t like to shop online because I like to place fabrics side by side in real light when I select them. We have Joann and Hobby Lobby. Joann’s cottons are not consistent. I got one that was the right color but is very rough and looks like a looser weave. They claim their 100% cottons are quilting fabrics but I don’t see it. I have a lot of fabric in my closet I can use, but some of them are starting to get brownish aged spots and I won’t risk using it. I didn’t think about fabric getting old when I stored it.

illinois

From your last comment about not thinking your stitches are small enough to please yourself, it sounds like the high loft is your issue. Too, just recently I had commented about having issues with the quilt I was hand quilting. A quilting friend suggested using beeswax on the needle. I have heard of using it on the thread but not the needle. It certainly did help though!
If you usually use a cotton batt and now dealing with high loft poly, there certainly is a difference. Just keep your stitches consistent in size and enjoy the "new" experience. Keeping them small may not be possible with the extra thickness.