pattypurple, you might try using sticky stabilizer for quilting. you hoop the stabilizer, cut off the paper exposing the tacky paper and place your quilt down on it, no need for the top hoop, it helps a lot. Especially if you are emb on fabric like velvet or others that tend to have marks left on them due to the hoop. This helps with the thickness, you can still put a few pins on the quilt around the hoop outside of the embroidery area. Hope this helps