Hooping System for towels/sheets?

[YDCustom]

Does anyone know of a hooping aid that works well with towels and sheets? We do the occasional robe monogram, too.

The ones I've seen (Hoopmaster and HoopMate) seem more geared for the garment embroidery industry. Of course, I just may not be finding the right information.

Right now, we're hooping on a table and marking our location with invisible ink lines to make sure we get the hoop lined up properly. This is great except that it delays our shipment overnight while we wait for the ink to disappear. I'd love to cut this wait time (and the risk of the invisible ink reappearing!) if possible...

[signman]

If you are doing enough of the towels, etc. to make it worth the effort-build up your own 'hooping station' with a piece of plywood (thick enough not to warp, smooth one side, sand the edges) and strips of wood that you can screw in place as 'hoop guides' to set the hoop in. Allow space for the outer hoop to spread open...and then glue or screw down the wood strips, molding strips, anything that will allow you to push the hoop down in place. Line up the towel or sheet to the edge of your piece of plywood, and slide your hoop underneath to where it will always be going-mark that and fasten your guide strips. Now you have created a jig made for that item...make one for towels, one for sheets, etc. and the plywood only has to be large enough for a corner lineup of the material and the hoop-not the same size as the entire item. I have different jigs like that made up for screenprinting various jobs I repeat a lot, special box printing jigs, etc. I've made over the years. I don't see why you couldn't make up something using coroplast (corrugated plastic sheets) because you aren't putting any stress on it-just lining up parts. Coroplast is CHEAP, $12 or so for a 4'x8' piece and it cuts with a razor knife...easy enough to lay out a towel on it, lay down a hoop, and then just cut a circle out around that bottom hoop so it 'drops' into the jig. There you go!
Roland

[YDCustom]

That is brilliant! All we do are towels and sheets so it's definitely worth my effort.

::goes away counting how many jigs she'd need::

[Juli in Kona]

You really don't need a different jig for each size towel. You just need one for each size hoop - and make the jig big enough for the largest towel. Then for the smaller towels just put a piece of tape to indicate the bottom ( or the stripe on the towel.) In fact, marking where the stripe is, is probably a better idea because different brands of towels have that stripe in different places. And it is the strips, and not the bottom, that will determine where the design is placed. And you can even add a tape for a special situation.

But a very good idea! Now I'll have to make myself some. So, my little brain is at work figuring this out. I have the magnetic hoops which I dearly LOVE! I can use a sheet maybe 18" wide by 3ft high and cut out the hole for the 5.5" hoop on the lower half and then turn it around and cut the hole for the 10 x 10 hoop. That way I would have one jig for 2 size hoops. And to take it one step further, using a 3 x 3', I could get 4 hoop holes on it. Yes, definitely has possibilities!

Now, why didn't I think of this myself?

Juli

[Just Sew It]

I seem to remember a video on the Hoop Master site about how to use the "T-Square" to measure for towels and sheets and pillowcases.
Would that be helpful since you already have the Hoop Master?
Jo