Qui8lting Hoop
 

I still haven't found the best tool for quilting. Has anyone used a 14" quilting hoop and with what success? A lady told me the other day that she learned to use one and loves it.

when I hand quilted I used that size hoop and it worked well. What I use to do is sit at a card table in a straight back chair and rest the quilt on the table. if that makes sense to you. It worked well for me and I could move the hoop easily to a new area on the quilt .

I have used the 14" hoop successfully. Sometimes the project will dictate the hoop size, but I tend to prefer a 12".

Is there a difference in quilting hoops? What kind do you use and why do you prefer it to others you could have bought?

Is there a particular make or model that works best for your? What would you recommend

I use a large oval wood hoop for hand quilting, and sit back in a comfy chair or sofa with the quilt on my lap. I have a smaller oval one for smaller quilts. I think my larger one is about 24" long.

No brand name, but I see them a lot in thrift stores and yard sales.

I also prefer a 12" hoop, as I have short arms. I once read a formula for determining one's ideal hoop size related to arm length. I found a very sturdy wooden hoop at my LQS; it is labeled Quilter's Resource. It was much more substantial than the ones at JoAnn's. I replaced the screw with a longer one from one of the larger JoAnn's hoops I'd tried, which made it possible to keep the hoop looser.

There are different types of quilting hoops. In general, smaller hoops such as 12" and 14" tend to be easier to use than large hoops (such as 16" or 18") just because it's hard to reach and sew. My preferred hoop is no longer available, but it is a lap hoop. If I had to replace it, I would probably get this one:
https://www.graceframe.com/en/hand-q...race-lap-hoops
What I like about mine is that it sits at an appropriate height in my lap so I don't have to worry about juggling it while I quilt, or prop it up against something. The swivel allows me to adjust the angle of the quilt for the direction that is easiest for me to quilt. And, there is very little underneath to interfere with my underneath hand.

Before getting the one I have, I tried a stationary lap hoop. This is a lap hoop that does not include the swivel feature. I found that the support struts interfered more with my underneath hand. Also, it was not possible to adjust the tilt of the quilt. Being able to adjust both the tilt and angle of the quilt is very helpful to me.

I started out with just a hoop. Although I could quilt with it, it was hard to try to juggle its position while using both hands to quilt. I never thought to prop it up, as some others describe, and see how that could work. However, that is pretty much a fixed position, so you still do not have the ability to easily change the tilt and angle of the hoop as you work.

i have a 22 inch round hoop that i got at an antique store. I do have to hang it on the back of a chair so that i can get my hand underneath it when i hand quilt. Then I decided to put out the money for a Harry Barnett 16 inch square hoop w/ a bean bag base. Harry's hoops are all individually hand made and they take about 8 weeks to get, but well worth it.

LOVE it!!! It does have a swivel base, and I really like that, too. No more hanging my hoop on the back of a chair.

http://www.laptophoops.com/

I went on the graceframe web site. Is the first one shown the one you would recommend? Does it sit easily in the lap and not become bulky or hard to keep on the lap? I'm serious about finding a good hoop and this one seems to be very adaptable to using in the lap.