How to Use a Magnetic Embroidery Hoop Without Pinched Fingers

To use a magnetic embroidery hoop, lay stabilizer and fabric flat on the lower frame, hold the upper frame at a corner or edge, and lower it onto the fabric so the magnets pull it down, keeping fingers clear. Smooth the fabric until it is flat and taut but not stretched, attach the hoop to your machine, trace the design, then stitch. Store the frames with a separating layer between them.

A magnetic hoop is quick to use, but the technique is a little different from a screw-tight hoop. The magnets do the clamping, so your job is to place the layers flat, lower the top frame in a controlled way and keep your fingers out of the gap. This page is the hands-on routine. For what magnetic hoops are, which brands exist and how to choose one for your machine, see our magnetic embroidery hoops guide.

The steps below are general. Every hoop maker prints its own instructions, and those win over anything here. This site is not affiliated with any hoop or machine maker.

How a magnetic hoop works in practice

A magnetic hoop has a lower frame and an upper frame. You put stabilizer and fabric on the lower frame, and the upper frame is pulled down by magnets so the layers are clamped between the two. Because nothing squeezes the fabric between two rings, you get a flat hold with less effort. Madeira’s hooping guidance describes the process as nearly the same as a standard hoop: hold the upper part over the lower part and let it fall, with fingers clear.

One practical difference is adjustment. Madeira notes that a magnetic frame lets you make small adjustments to the fabric or stabilizer after it closes, to remove folds. A screw hoop usually has to be loosened first.

Step by step

Set up your work surface. Clear a flat table. Keep phones, bank cards and similar items away from the hoop. If your hoop has a hooping station or a coupling that attaches to the machine, have it ready.
Check the hoop is the right one for your machine. Hoops are model-specific, and some machines need the hoop selected or calibrated in the settings. Bernina’s manual, for example, says to calibrate its magnetic hoop before first use and to select the matching hoop name on the machine. Other brands differ, so read your machine’s manual and the hoop’s own sheet.
Separate the frames. Lay the lower frame flat, with the part that attaches to the machine oriented the way it will go into the carriage. Some hoops have a corner recess or notch for the top frame. Use it when it is there.
Layer stabilizer and fabric. Put the stabilizer on the lower frame, then the fabric on top. Smooth both outward from the center. Not sure which stabilizer? See our stabilizer guide.
Mark the center and align the design. Use the hoop’s template or grid if it came with one, or measure from the frame edges. Line up your center marks with the template lines so the design lands where you want it.
Lower the top frame edge first. Hold the upper frame by the corner recess or its outer edge, not the inside lip, and tip one side down onto the fabric. Then let the rest drop. Bernina’s manual says to hold the upper hoop at a corner recess to avoid pinching your fingers between the two frames.
Keep fingers clear. Never reach under or between the frames while they are close together. If the frame snaps down off-center, lift it and try again instead of pushing it into place with your fingertips.
Check the fabric. It should be flat and taut, but not stretched. Madeira says you should be able to run your fingers over it without it moving or rippling, and not to overstretch knits. If it ripples, lift the top frame, smooth and close again. If you have to pull hard to get it flat, start over.
Attach the hoop to the machine. Follow your machine’s instructions. Make sure no loose fabric is hanging under the hoop or could fall into the stitching area. Bernina advises rolling and securing the edge of a large piece so it does not drift into the embroidery area.
Trace and check clearance. Preview the design and run the machine’s trace or outline function. Watch that the needle clears every part of the frame and any loose magnets. Our will-it-fit tool helps check the design against your machine’s field.
Stitch. Stay with the machine for the first minute. Puckering or shifting usually shows up early.
Remove the hoop. Take the hoop off the machine first. Then lift the upper frame from a corner, tab or edge rather than from the middle, and hold the lower frame with your other hand. In her write-up, Sewing Machine Fun’s author notes that pulling off one frame while the other was not held decentered her work. Support both sides.

Thick items

This is where magnetic hoops earn their keep. Towels, quilts, jackets and bags with seams are easier to clamp than to force into a standard ring. A few tips:

Smooth the pile or seam so it lies as flat as possible before closing.
Make sure the item is not bunched beneath the frame, where it could catch.
Check the maker’s thickness limit. Brother, for example, rates its own magnetic frame for fabric under 2 mm (about 1/16 in), and a thicker layer can break the needle. Other hoops have different limits.
For towels, use a topping on the pile. See our towel embroidery guide.

Floating stabilizer and delicate fabric

Sometimes the item is a poor fit for any hoop clamp. Slippery or stretchy fabrics can shift under magnets. Madeira suggests hooping only the backing and laying the fabric on top, held with temporary adhesive spray or a sticky backing. This is called floating. Clamp the stabilizer in the hoop, then add the item.

Leather and vinyl are a related case. See our leather and vinyl guide for options. For the general technique of hooping with standard hoops, read how to hoop fabric for machine embroidery.

Re-hooping to reposition

If the design is off-center or you are embroidering a second spot, remove the hoop from the machine, lift the upper frame, shift the fabric and close it again. Bernina’s manual describes this routine for its hoop. Re-check alignment against the template before you attach the hoop again. For quilting, lifting and re-clamping between sections is one of the main reasons people choose magnetic frames.

Storing magnetic hoops

Use a separating layer. Do not stack or store the frames directly on each other. Bernina’s manual says to use the supplied separating material or fabric between the parts, and warns that pulling apart parts stuck together can take a lot of force.
Keep them away from devices and media. Bernina says the magnetic field can permanently damage magnetic storage media and electronic or mechanical devices. Keep the hoops away from phones, cards and drives.
Medical devices. Bernina warns that the field can significantly interfere with pacemakers and other medical devices. If you or anyone nearby has one, follow the maker’s warnings and ask a doctor.
Out of reach of children. Bernina says to keep its hoop away from children, and the same sense applies to any strong magnet.

Common mistakes

Pinched fingers. The most common one. Hold the frame by its corner or edge and lower it, instead of dropping it from height.
Skipping stabilizer. The hoop does not replace stabilizer. See machine embroidery stabilizer.
Stretching the fabric. Pulling cloth tight and then clamping it causes puckers after the stitching. Our puckering guide covers fixes.
Dense designs on stretchy fabric. Sewing Machine Fun lists this as a trouble spot for some magnetic hoops, because the cloth can move.
Skipping the trace. Check clearance every time. Brother’s sash frame manual warns that a magnet sitting slightly raised can hit the needle bar.
Assuming one hoop fits all your machines. Compatibility depends on brand and model. Brother owners can start with our Brother machine guide, then check hoop compatibility lists for the exact model.
Not keeping standard hoops. Some jobs, such as stretchy fabrics with dense designs, are often easier in a standard hoop. See hoop types for the options.

Frequently asked questions

How does a magnetic embroidery hoop work?

The fabric and stabilizer sit between a lower frame and an upper frame, and magnets pull the two together and clamp the layers. There is no inner ring to push in or screw to tighten, so the grip comes from the magnets alone.

How do you store magnetic embroidery hoops?

Do not stack the frames directly on each other. Bernina's manual says to use a separating layer, either the supplied material or fabric, between the parts, because pulling magnetized parts apart can take a lot of force. Keep them away from children, medical devices and magnetic media.

Can you re-hoop with a magnetic hoop without starting over?

Usually yes. Remove the hoop from the machine, lift the upper frame at a corner or edge, reposition the fabric and close it again. Small adjustments after the frame closes are also possible, which is harder with a screw hoop.

Why is my fabric loose or puckering in a magnetic hoop?

Stretchy or slippery fabric can move under magnets, especially with dense designs. Use a firmer stabilizer, or hoop only the stabilizer and float the garment on top with temporary adhesive.