Floating
Floating means hooping only the stabilizer and laying the item on top of it, so thick, delicate or tiny items never have to sit between the hoop rings.
Floating is a way of holding an item that does not go in the hoop at all. You hoop only the stabilizer, pulled taut between the rings, and place the item on top. Sewing Machine Fun also calls it hoopless embroidery. The stabilizer carries the hoop tension, and the item simply rests on it.
It matters because some things cannot be hooped, or should not be. Bulky towels will not close in the rings. Leather, vinyl, cork and velvet can be marked or crushed by them. Small blanks are smaller than the hoop, and many in-the-hoop projects are floated by design. The cost is precision. Embroidery Library warns that a floated towel can show fuzzy stitches and slight misalignment, and an item that shifts mid-design can pucker or misregister.
To float, hoop the stabilizer, lay the item on it centered on the marked lines, and secure it before stitching. Common ways to do that: a light mist of temporary spray adhesive, applied to the stabilizer rather than the item; sticky stabilizer, where you peel the paper and press the item down firmly; painter's tape on the margin; pins kept well clear of the needle path; fusible stabilizer; or a basting box, a rectangle of long straight stitches that pins the item down before the design starts. Pull the basting stitches out with a seam ripper afterward. On towels, add a water-soluble topping once the towel is in place.
The same word is used for a second trick. If a dense design needs more support, you can float an extra layer of stabilizer under the hoop, on the needle plate area, and let the first stitches lock it in. Sewing Machine Fun says this suits a soft, single layer under about 0.2 in (5-6 mm) thick.
Common mistakes: floating when you could hoop, since hooping is the more accurate choice; over-spraying adhesive; pins in the stitch path or pulled through the stabilizer; tape that leaves residue; and a basting box on leather or paper, where needle holes stay. Stitch a sample on a scrap of the same material first.
Example: A thick terry bath towel that will not close in a hoop: hoop a medium-weight cut-away stabilizer, spray it lightly with temporary adhesive, and press the towel on. Lay a sheet of water-soluble topping over the design area and pin the layers down, keeping every pin outside the stitch area. Embroidery Library places a towel design with its bottom edge about 4 in (100 mm) above the hem and stitches it with a 75/11 needle. Expect slightly less crisp registration than a hooped towel.
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Frequently asked questions
When should I float instead of hooping?
Float when the item is too thick for the hoop, easily marked by hoop rings, or smaller than the hoop. Leather, vinyl, cork, velvet and extra-thick towels are the usual cases. If the item can be hooped with its stabilizer, hooping is generally the more accurate choice.
What keeps a floated item from shifting?
Use temporary spray adhesive on the stabilizer, sticky stabilizer, painter's tape on the margin, pins clear of the stitch area, fusible stabilizer or a basting box. Spray lightly, check that tape leaves no residue, and avoid a basting box on leather or paper because needle holes stay.
Is floating as accurate as hooping?
Usually not quite. Floated items can shift, and Embroidery Library notes a floated towel may show fuzzy stitches and slight misalignment, although the design still turns out well. Secure the item firmly and stitch a sample on scrap first.