Hand Embroidery Hoop Mobile

When making a mobile, most in-the-hoop embroidery ornaments or stuffies can be used.

In this tutorial we use two different types of in-the-hoop designs.

The first are the in-the-hoop designs with a raw, satin or an heirloom stitching edge (not stuffed).

The second are stitch-and-turn in-the-hoop designs that sew wrong side out and have to be turned and stuffed after the embroidery is completed.

To make the flat, non-stuffed designs, follow the embroidery tutorial that goes with the chosen design.

For example, the leaves and mushroom that we used follow our Raw Edge Ornament (in-the-hoop) tutorial.

Instead of a ribbon hanger loop, we added a long piece of string during construction to prepare the designs for our mobile.

To add the long string hanger instead of a loop to your design like we did, cut a piece of string to about 19.5" long (this will depend on how "tall" you want your mobile to be).

Tape one end of the string to the top center of the back fabric piece. Spray the back piece of the design with temporary spray adhesive, and place it on the back side of the hoop.

Coil the length of the string upward so that it stays secure while sewing the final steps of the design.

Alternatively, you can hand sew the string onto the design after it is finished stitching out.

To make a stitch and turn design, follow these steps:

Start by printing your dielines.

When you download the design, you will find multiple files. One is an embroidery file, and the others are dieline files marked with the letters "DL". Dielines are used to cut the fabric to the correct shape and size. Open and print each dieline file using an embroidery software.

You can learn more about working with dieline files by watching this video.

Spray the backside of the printed front and back dieline pieces with temporary adhesive. Smooth them onto the right side of the fabric.

Cut the front and back dieline shapes out of the fabric. Then remove the paper dieline.

We used Sulky Soft n' Sheer stabilizer for these designs since they are small shapes.

If you do not have that brand, any stabilizer that is very soft and flexible will work as long as it will hold up while being sewn in the hoop.

Tear-away stabilizer is too stiff for these designs and makes turning them right side out difficult.

Hoop a piece of the Soft n' Sheer stabilizer (or another similar stabilizer).

When embroidering, use a 75/11 sharp sewing needle instead of an embroidery needle. The sharp sewing needle has a finer point and it will make smaller perforations in the stabilizer.

Attach the hoop onto the machine and load the embroidery design (not the dieline files).

Embroider the design. The first thing to embroider will be a dieline (or outline stitch). This marks the area on the stabilizer where the front fabric piece will be placed.

After the dieline has sewn, remove the hoop from the machine, but do not unhoop the stabilizer.

Spray the wrong side of the front fabric piece with temporary adhesive. Place the fabric on the stabilizer inside of the sewn dieline.

Follow the color change sheet, and sew the front piece tackdown. This tackdown will hold the fabric piece in place for the rest of the embroidery.

Next, continue to embroider the inner details of the design.

Stop when you have reached the "back piece tackdown" step.

Before sewing the "back piece tackdown" step, remove the hoop from the machine but do not unhoop the stabilizer.

To add the hanger string during embroidery, cut a long string that is 19.5" long (or longer), and place the string on the front of the design. Coil most of the string up so it fits inside the design's "front piece tackdown" line.

Then take one end of the string and position it so it goes slightly past the fabric's edge at the top center of the design.

Tape both the coil and the end of the string in place.

Alternatively, you can sew the string on after the stuffie is finished if preferred.

Lightly spray the right side of the Back Piece with temporary spray adhesive and place over the front piece.

Return the hoop to the machine and embroider the remaining steps.

This step will sew the back fabric piece and string in place. A small opening will be left in the back piece tackdown for turning and stuffing the design.

After the design has finished embroidering, remove the hoop from the machine, and unhoop the stabilizer. Trim away the excess soft and sheer stabilizer from around the design.

Next, turn the design right side out through the small opening left in the back piece tackdown.

Using polyester fiber fill, or another stuffing material, stuff the design.

Finally, use a hand sewing needle and thread that matches the fabric and sew the opening closed.

Continue to sew out all the designs that you want to use for the mobile and gather them together.

If you did not attach the string hangers during the embroidery process, hand sew them onto the top center of each design now. Use a piece of string or cord that is 19.5" or longer.

Select a hand embroidery hoop that will fit all of the designs easily.

In this demonstration, we used an 8" wooden hand embroidery hoop.

Since we only need the inner ring to make our mobile, remove the outer ring of the hoop that has the tightening screw and set it aside.

Lay out the designs around the hoop to decide the placement of your mobile pieces.

Keep in mind the weight of the designs and the length of the different hanger strings.

Try to keep the stuffed designs evenly spaced apart to help the mobile balance. If too many of them are on one side, the mobile will likely tip. A design can also hang in the center of the hoop if desired.

Once you have decided on your layout, begin wrapping the first of the designs around the hoop.

Wrap the string at least three or four times around hoop. If you prefer, you can also tie a knot in the string as well, but wrapping them allows for easier balance adjustments later.

Continue to wrap all of the designs that will hang from the hoop. The center design does not get wrapped around the hoop.

Lift up the mobile and hold all of the strings together in one point above the hoop.

If including a center design, hang it in the center of the hoop, and hold its string with the others.

While holding this point, you can carefully work on balancing out the hoop by adjusting the spacing and height of the designs on the hoop.

Once the mobile is balanced and does not tip, tie all the strings together into a double knot at the same point where you held them.

To add a bead, use the hand sewing needle that has a wide eye but still fits though the bead. For best results, thread one string at a time until all strings have been threaded through the bead. In the end the bead should rest right on top of the knot we just made.

To make the hanger, tie all of the strings together at the top in a loop. Double knot it and then trim any extra string length if desired.