This happened to me a few weeks ago and as I’m sure I cannot be the only one have this happen I thought I’d show you how I fixed it.
I’ve seen people trim fabric off level with the wood around the back of a hoop and glue the fabric in place; that could also be an option but that finish is not for me. I wouldn’t like to trust that it wouldn’t pull away or discolour after some time and after all those hours of stitching I really just feel like my embroidery deserves better and I think yours does too!
I initially planned to just share this on my Instagram and Tik Tok so I filmed each stage. But then it occurred to me that not everyone uses those social medias and actually it would be good to share this fairly easy solution over here on the blog too. You can see the video version here.
Unfortunately I didn’t take any photos as I fixed my “the fabric is too small to frame in this embroidery hoop” dilemma, I only had the filming so I’ve taken screenshots of the original video. The quality isn’t quite as crisp as I would like but I think it’s good enough so you can see the process.
Why might your embroidery fabric be too small?
Good question! 99% of the time you’re not going to have this issue because sensible people plan ahead and cut their fabric to the right size before they start to embroider don’t they?!
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I started this embroidery at a workshop so it was the fabric and hoop I was given. I was so busy enjoying learning some new techniques it didn’t even occur to me to ask for bigger fabric.
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You might originally plan to use a smaller or different shaped frame or hoop for your embroidery and then change your mind.
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You might be new to embroidery and not even thought about how you would finish the back of your work when finished.
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You might be embroidering on a small precious piece of fabric and figured you’d “squeeze it out of it somehow”!
Whatever the reason you are in this pickle, don’t worry. It’s not too difficult to sort it out and frame your piece beautifully.
What you need:
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A larger piece of fabric, ideally in the same colour as your original piece
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A fabric marker pen or tailors chalk
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Pins
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A sewing machine and thread in a colour that matches the fabric
Then to continue to finish the back of the embroidery nicely you’ll also need:
