How to finish off the back of a Hoop
Hoop Art is a beautiful way to display your work, and after all, you can only have so many cushions in your life :) Mounting and displaying your creations on the wall is a lovely alternative, particularly when it comes to my curved English paper-pieced rings such as my Wreath seen here.
But once you have completed the front, how to finish off the back neatly? Below I show you how to cut away the excess fabric, draw and pull a length of thread through the seam allowance and then how to attach a circle of felt to cover up everything for a professional looking finish.
1. Follow the pattern's instructions to make up the front of the hoop. Make sure your ring is centred within the hoop and the gap in the screw is at the top of the ring.
2. Flip over the hoop to the back and snip off any loose threads. Pull the wadding and muslin away from the background fabric to separate them.
3. With a finger placed between the background and wadding, cut away the excess wadding and muslin only, following the edge of the hoop, but leaving the background fabric intact.
4. Now cut away the excess background fabric, leaving an approximate inch of seam allowance around the outside.
5. Cut a length of strong cotton approx. one and half times the circumference of the hoop. Knot the end and sew a running stitch into the seam allowance.
6. When you get back to the beginning, pull both ends of thread taut to gather up the fabric. Tie the ends together with a tight knot and snip off the excess.
7. Place your hoop face down onto a square of felt and draw aroud the outside with a pencil.
8. Cut approx. half a inch around the inside of the drawn line to make the felt circle smaller than your hoop.
9. Place the felt onto the back of your hoop, and pin into place.
10. Slip stitch the felt to the hoop's seam allowance so it covers up your running stitch
11. Continue to sew around the whole outside edge to complete the back of your hoop.
12. Your piece of beautiful Hoop Art is now complete and ready to hang on a wall for all to admire!
If you would like to finish off your Hoop Art project in style, you can purchase 50cm squares of white felt here, priced at £1.60 each
Are you inspired to make your own piece of Hoop Art? You can browse my full kits here, or my patterns here.