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I am sure someone must have asked this before but I cannot find a thread for it. I bought some 14 count Aida and have a nice piece in a kit. The problem is that both are very stiff and I cannot fit my hoop over it. Are there any tips or tricks to soften it to make it easier to work on? I tried steaming it but it dried just as hard. I would appreciate any and all feedback.

It will soften as you use it but I know that isn't much help when you are trying to put it in the hoop.

I think some people wash their aida if it is particularly stiff and that washes out whatever the companies use to stiffen the material.

Personally I don't do anything to soften the material - I quite like it stiff - and I do sometimes battle to get it into a frame/hoop.

I use a qsnap for preference though which I think makes life a little easier when working with stiff fabric initially

I usually just deal with the stiffness at the beginning because after handling it for awhile it will eventually soften.

To get the hoop on a stiff piece of Aida, I set the bottom part of the hoop on the table, lay the fabric over top then loosen the top ring almost as far as it will go and place it on the fabric. Then while using one hand to press the top ring down onto the bottom while tightening the screw very tightly so the stubborn Aida can't budge. It helps to have the hard surface of a table underneath and Sometimes it takes three hands

I am having the same problem with one of my Golden kite projects and it is a huge one so it is making it very diificult to handle and giving me sore fingers. I have bought a Q-snap to use for when I am doing that one and I find it helps. I tried washing the aida but it didn't help at all.

I'm one for the stiffness too. LOVE IT
The projects I am working on now are 11 x 14. I just do as others has said, then I roll the excess around the 11", 9", and 6" hoops, that I use, like a jelly roll and use potato chip clips in 3 areas around the hoop, 1 o'clock, 4 o'clock, and 8 o'clock positions, and move the clips as needed. The fabric will soften as you are working.

HAPPY STITCHING IN STITCHING LAND.

The Nursery Rhyme kit I'm working at the moment was a bit troublesome the first time I put it in the hoop. I had to have someone help me that time. However, the whenever it was time to move the hoop, it didn't give me that much trouble.

calico wrote:I usually just deal with the stiffness at the beginning because after handling it for awhile it will eventually soften.

To get the hoop on a stiff piece of Aida, I set the bottom part of the hoop on the table, lay the fabric over top then loosen the top ring almost as far as it will go and place it on the fabric. Then while using one hand to press the top ring down onto the bottom while tightening the screw very tightly so the stubborn Aida can't budge. It helps to have the hard surface of a table underneath and Sometimes it takes three hands

I'm a witness to this method. Just did this on a wedding sampler kit that I had bought recently that was marked down. It actually took 4 hands to get the hoop on. If my husband was home at the time, I would have used both his hands as well. I kept thinking I had a defunct hoop or something cause I don't remember Aida being that stiff. Glad to know that I'm not that crazy. Not looking forward to having to move the hoop. I might need to get a bigger qsnap if they work that well. I only have a small one that came in a combo pack of hoops.

[quote=]
I'm a witness to this method. Just did this on a wedding sampler kit that I had bought recently that was marked down. It actually took 4 hands to get the hoop on. If my husband was home at the time, I would have used both his hands as well. I kept thinking I had a defunct hoop or something cause I don't remember Aida being that stiff. Glad to know that I'm not that crazy. Not looking forward to having to move the hoop. I might need to get a bigger qsnap if they work that well. I only have a small one that came in a combo pack of hoops.[/quote]

q snaps are the best for stiff aida, or any fabric IMHO. I got the set, but the 11"x17" is my favourite for large projects (my HAED is in it at the moment) and the 8"x8" for most other projects
havent even touched my hoops since I got my q snaps.