I’ve had quite a few embroidery projects going on in the studio this year.

For example, you might remember that we kicked off the year with a voided monogram in floche. And then there was the whitework variation.

There’s been quite a bit of sampling going on this year, too – like this project, and this project, and this project.

There were some new spring towels, and some scroll towels, and some new folk towels.

Here, the Key to my Heart was finished as a hanging sachet and another voided monogram was finished as a needlebook.

Anna finished her Jacobean Bird, and I finished Jacobean Sea.

I started some more miniature stitching, I started (and finished – but I haven’t shown you yet) an ecclesiastical embroidery project, and Anna finished a gold and silk work project, which I have just started and hope to finish soon.

In and out of everything, I’ve worked on my hexie quilt project, too.

And there are a couple other projects still simmering and stewing, which I haven’t shared with you yet.

The reason I’m bring all of this up is because I’ve been asked several times lately a few questions about embroidery frames and hoops. The questions distill down to these general inquiries: What makes you decide to use a hoop over a frame or visa-versa, and should I be using a frame instead of a hoop?