Hi ! I'm looking for advice. I have a bernina 180. I designed a circle feather motif to fit in my 4 inch squares on my quilted pillow sham that I'm making. It sews out great and fast - 1 minute! But it takes me about an hour of !$%#! and pulling my hair out to center it in the hoop. It's too thick to fit the inner hoop on, so I'm using some sticky stabilizer to hold the square in place to the outer hoop - but that's under the quilt, so I'm having a horrible time trying to center to what I can't see!!! Any ideas?

Wish I could help. But an embroidery machine is on my wish list

No when you figure it out let ME know I gave up trying to do things with my Janome 8000 after purchasing 3 different EXPENSIVE hoops could never be happy where it decided to QUILT

I've heard some use a magnetic hoop for thicker pieces. Perhaps that would be the way to go.

I was just looking at the magna hoop online, but it doesn't really seem to help with the centering problem.

I have 180 and one year i did a tablecloth w matching napkins 20 of them i hooped two layers of stabilizer n cut out the middle part for the design. Then i just pinned the napkins on the stabilizer. Maybe this will help.

On the back of your fabric using a water soluble or chalk marker, draw a + from edge to edge.

Then do the same thing on your stabilizer. line up your fabric on the + on your stabilizer and it will be perfectly centered.

I have done it like that for years and never had a problem.

I will do a tute and post it in a little while.

When I embroidery a square, I do the embroidery then cut the square to fit the block that I am making. See picture.

I have a Bernina 180 and a Janome 9000, so I can relate to both of you!

This is a fantastic idea!!!! I need to go look at the tute to make sure I'm picturing what you're describing.

Here's the tute I just posted for you http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-91981-1.htm#2305138