🧵 Hoop Size Selector

Enter your design's width and height, plus the margin you want around it, to find the smallest standard hoop size that will fit your design.

Design width (in)

Design height (in)

Margin around design (in)

Longest side, plus the margin twice

A round hoop only cares about the biggest dimension it has to swallow, and the margin is added on both sides of it:

needed = max(width, height) + margin × 2
3 in wide, 2 in tall, 0.5 in margin → 3 + 1 = 4.00 in

That figure is then matched against the standard sizes — 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.4, 10, 12, 14 and 16 in — and the smallest one that clears it wins. The 9.4 in entry is the 240 mm hoop that ships with many commercial machines. Anything over 16 in returns no hoop, which is the tool telling you to split the design or move to a frame.

Choosing the margin

Half an inch is the working minimum. Stitching closer than that to the inner ring means the presser foot or your needle hand is fighting the hoop edge on every pass.
Hand embroiderers want a full inch. The ring must never sit on stitched fabric: it crushes the thread and leaves a hoop mark that steaming does not always lift.
Leave fabric beyond the hoop too. Allow about 2 in of spare cloth all round so it can be gripped and tensioned.

Rectangular machine hoops are quoted as two numbers — 5 × 7 in. This tool assumes a round hoop and works off the longer side, so it errs large: a design 6.5 in tall and 2 in wide fits a 5 × 7 field but is sent here to a 7 in round.

Frequently asked questions

What size hoop do I need for a 4 inch design?

A 5 in hoop. Four inches of design plus a half-inch margin each side needs 5.00 in, and a nominal 4 in hoop only has about 4 in of usable field.

How much bigger than the design should an embroidery hoop be?

Half an inch clear on every side for machine work, an inch for hand stitching. That is a hoop one standard size up from the design itself.

What if the design is bigger than my largest hoop?

Split it into two hoopings and align them with registration marks on the stabilizer, or stitch it in a slate frame. Rehooping leaves a visible ring, so plan the join at a colour break.