Bev Love the duckies. Are you done with duckies now?

Which hoop do you use? I just got a bunch of the plastic spring hoops on the left and I don't really care for them. Between the two handles is loose and they don't seem to hold the fabric tight as I prefer. What do you think?

I hope you can hun. I really do. I said my goodbyes to mom, but not sure if she really understood me. Her CT scan shouwed brain dead. But she did squeze my hand a couple times when I told her I loved her. She basically just layed there looking past me at the door like she was waiting for someone. Maybe my dad? He's been gone 15 yrs now. :cry: :cry:

The body might have been done but I am sure that she heard you, and chances are that she was waiting and looking for someone to help her along. The good byes are more for you than them. We are the ones left behind. Depends on how things pan out etc with DH, he sufferes from PTSD and it is hard sometimes to leave him behind, he has to stay and work, he is going on course in Sept so isn't taking holidays this summer, means a long drive by myself again, not sure if I want to do it again by myself or not, maybe if I had a smaller vehicle.

One of my sisters are supposed to be coming out this summer as well, I am not sure when.

to pick yours, I'd say the wood, but heres what I use.... PIC
I don't care for the spring ones. My work was never tight enough... No I have the one i'm working on and one more duckie to go til i'm done.

your right.... but either way its painful. i hate goodbyes. anyways hun. i hope things work out for you...

I had a spring one for my janome and liked it as it was fast and easy to hoop, but the other ones definitely provide more support for your work, if you go to use the spring one I recommend using a good stabalizer, I don't do stuff by hand but the tension things applies to both.

David bought me a spring one awhile back he found at Goodwill for.25. My work kept coming loose so I got frustrated and took it out and put it in the screw type one. I don't and never have used a stablizer. I've been doing this since I was 5 and I'm ........ Older now.

I saw that you don't use stabilizer and that is great, with the spring ones the only way to get the fabric to stay still is to use it. it helps keep the stitches from pulling at the fabric. With the ME almost all the time I need to use stabilizer, otherwise the machine pulls to hard on it and sitorts the design and fabric.

I commend you on your work and think it is great, and I sih I was closer and could even jsut watch you while you did some of the work, I want to learn how to do more hand work, patiences is not a strong suit and don't know if it ever will be,

And I would just love to see you do your machine. I can understand using the stabelizer there. I saw them using it on some quilt shows. I can't afford a machine in this lifetime so I'll enjoy your work ok?

Okay, Enjoy mine and I will enjoy yours. People tend to get mesmorized by the machine, the needle going up and down, my favorite thing if I have someone that is staring at it to hold up my hands and say "look mom, no hands". usually gets a giggle or two. It is kind of freaky if I am doing freestanding lace and you can see through the stabalizer as it is almost clear, with the motion of the needle I swear that it is going to hit something other than the hole. The bonus part of the machine is I can go and do other things while it is working away, so I get lots done, or it gives the illusion that I am gettign lots done. There is no way possible even if i did hand work that I could keep up to the machine, and with the list of things I would like done, I guess it is a good thing that I have something helping me along. You will just have to take a vacationand come and see. Your needle and thread will travel better than the machine. It is 3'x3' and over 100 lbs. that is the big one, I di have a smaller one as well but it isn't near as fast.