Embroidery is one of the oldest types of needlework, which has turned from a vital necessity into a hobby, and sometimes a source of income for many women. Since ancient times, girls and women who knew how to embroider created real works of art. Today, this occupation captivates millions of women around the world. Embroidery accessories are designed to make the process of embroidery easy and enjoyable.

Embroidery hoop to help the needlewoman

A hoop is a device that stretches the fabric while embroidering to make work easier. Traditional round or oval hoops can be of different diameters, made of wood or plastic. Modern embroidery hoops mostly have a screw adjustment clamp that allows you to adjust the tension of the fabric when embroidering. Using the hoop is very simple – a fabric is placed on the lower hoop, which is fixed on top with a second hoop, and the tension is adjusted with a screw. When embroidering large works, the hoop is moved around the entire canvas to work on different areas.

Some hoops are immediately made as frames for decorating finished works: they have a beautiful frame and a loop for hanging. They are convenient to use when embroidering small paintings. Some embroiderers prefer to use a double-hoop hoop with a flexible rubber outer hoop instead of a screw-clamp hoop. When working with a traditional hoop, one hand constantly holds the embroidery. This may cause discomfort with prolonged use. In this case, floor or table hoops come to the aid of embroiderers – these are the same hoops, but with a stand. Or you can separately purchase a stand with a mount for an existing hoop. The height and angle of embroidery in such a hoop can be adjusted, which allows you to equip the workplace as conveniently as possible.

Traditional round hoops are good for everyone, but they have one main drawback – embroidery can deteriorate, stretch or get dirty at the point of compression by two hoops. For complex embroidery work, when the use of a round hoop is undesirable, frame hoops were invented, which are also available in manual and floor hoops. As a rule, they are made of their tree. In such a hoop, the embroidery fabric is inserted once, and its position does not change during the process. The canvas is fixed either with screw clamps or with special fasteners, or sewn to the braid on the side straps. Of course, such hoops make it possible to embroider using various additional materials, for example, with the addition of beads or ribbons. However, such hoops usually have a considerable weight, so they are stationary. In addition, the side tension in such hoops is not as high as in round hoops.

Another type of hoop is the frame hoop, but using clips to create uniform tension on all four sides, the so-called Q-snap. Their advantage is that they are collapsible, so you can take them with you on the road. As you can see, the choice of hoops is really large, and each embroiderer will be able to choose the right model for herself.

In the assortment of the German company Madeira, you can find thin two-hoop hoops without a screw, which are designed for machine embroidery. For embroidery of small details or for embroidery with beads, embroiderers use special magnifiers so as not to strain their eyesight. These loupes are worn on the head and free both hands for work.

Canvas – the basis of embroidery

You can embroider on any fabric, but for cross-stitching traditionally they use canvas – a special mesh cotton, synthetic or linen fabric, where the interweaving of threads is clearly visible, since the crosses should have a clear square shape. There is a canvas, which, after the embroidery is finished, is taken out of the thread work. However, canvas is most often used, which remains in the product.

Embroidery needles
For different types of embroidery, different types of needles are used, but conditionally they can be combined into two large groups: needles with a sharp and blunt tip. For cross-stitching, needles with a blunt tip are used, which easily enter the cells of the canvas. But for satin stitch embroidery, on the contrary, it is more expedient to use needles with sharp ends, which allow you to create the desired pattern. A useful invention for floor hoop or table hoop users is the reversible needle. However, some skill is needed to learn how to embroider using them. A wide range of needles is available from the Chinese manufacturer Ningbo or the Japanese company Hiroshima. The list of embroidery accessories is really long, but all these items are designed to bring only joy and satisfaction to this hobby.