Floating a quilt
 

I want to use my embroidery machine to quilt my quilt. I don't want edge to edge, just motifs in squares. I tried hooping and the quilt is too thick. I looked at magnetic hoops and they are really expensive but if I have to I will bite the bullet. The other option I saw was floating the quilt. I guess I don't quite understand how to do that. Do I need to use a wash away stabilizer to attach the quilt to? I guess I just don't understand how this would work. Any advice is welcome.

Get the magnetic hoop. Invest in the largest size for your machine.

I like to use the 9x14 hoop (magnetic) and use 8x12 designs. They can be moved in the edit function for placement.

Bite the bullet and get the largest magnetic hoop your machine will take. Your quilting life will be so much easier!

Looks like I'll have to start saving up. Thanks for the advise!

May I butt in here? My machine was too old for magnetic hoops compatible… so I merely discarded the inside hoop of my largest set, and used clips to secure my quilt to the outside edges of the outside hoop—-being careful they were not in the way of the 'jumping' foot. Stabilizer is not really needed with the layered quilt. I now have longarm frame setup, so don’t quilt w emb machine anymore. I do admit that this method works much better as "quilt as you go", one block at a time. Give it a try with some strong clips.

Thanks, I will.