Superior Star
HOOPSISTERS (ANNIE AND LYNDA)
Annie (right side of photo) was introduced to the art of quilting by her sister, Lynda (left side of photo). She was hooked after a simple 9 patch pillow. Lynda and her husband own Sewing Concepts in Woodstock and Carpentersville, Illinois and Annie purchased her first machine through them. A couple years later she purchased an embroidery machine with digitizing software. In 2005, sisters Lynda Remmers and Annie Moody brainstormed the possibilities of how an embroidery machine could be used in an unconventional way: making a quilt block. The two sisters' love of quilts and embroidery led to HoopSisters.
Annie tells us, "We use MonoPoly to add sashing to the backs of our quilts. We use it in the bobbin and it works great! Vanish-Lite has proven priceless in our designs when tacking fabric down while piecing in the hoop. Without Vanish-Lite, there would be a few stitches to pick out, but with Vanish-Lite, the temporary stitches wash away by simply getting it wet or a quick wash. We use this thread daily and we cannot live without it!
- HoopSisters -
Favorite Thread: Vanish-Lite and MonoPoly
Non-Quilting Hobby: Cooking, baking, playing with grandkids
Quilting Since: early 1990s
HoopSisters' Recommendations
HoopSisters' Featured Quilts
Goose Tracks
We love to quilt in the hoop. So naturally, we design our quilts with this technique in mind. Goose Tracks was stitched completely in the hoop of an embroidery machine (looks really neat, doesn't it?!). We wanted this quilt to have a fun, flirty look with something new in each block. We decided to bring the quilt together with a ribbon of flying geese. The curving line takes your eyes from the bottom, through the middle and past the embroidered designs, to the top. We decided to enclose the quilt with a flying geese banner that gives the impression of twisting and turning, or continuous motion. Because the stitching is quite bold and visible, we wanted to choose a fabric that would add brilliant color depth, which is why we chose gradient colors.
It takes a team of us around nine months to design, digitize, write directions, and create slideshows. After we create the project design, each block takes about 20 minutes of stitching to complete. This includes piecing, embroidery and quilting. The version of Goose Tracks which is pictured was stitched by several ladies on various brands of machines at a sample making getaway. While we have not entered the original Goose Tracks quilt in any shows, we have received many emails from our customers and friends that have entered their Goose Track quilt in shows, fairs and guild competitions. Several have won blue ribbons!
We use Vanish-Lite in each block for temporary basting to tack down fabric as well as when we decorate stitch a design on the edge of a block. We choose Vanish-Lite over other threads because there is less bulk and very little thread build up in each block. A benefit of Vanish-Lite is not having to unpick stitches when basting. The stitches on the outside of the block are stitched just to keep the fabric tacked down simply dissolve when wet. Talk about a time saver! We also love using MonoPoly for sewing sashing strips to cover the raw edges on the back of the quilt.
Elegant Elements
Our Elegant Elements quilt infuses many fun elements that bring texture and dimension to the design. Keeping in line with our quilt-making practice, each block of Elegant Elements was digitized for stitching in the hoop of an embroidery machine. Some of the fun elements we chose for this quilt are pinwheels, octagons, and cathedral windows. Our inspiration for this quilt was to step out of the box, or hoop in our case, and create something unexpected. Elegant Elements is one of our favorite quilts that we've design. We wanted to make something that was beautiful, but could be created quickly and wouldn't be overwhelming for those interested in quilting in the hoop.
We haven't entered any of our quilts in shows, but we encourage those who make quilts using our designs to do so. It's not uncommon for us to receive an email from a quilter showing off her HoopSisters quilt with a blue ribbon! It's rewarding for us to receive notes from our customers, sharing their joy and photos of their quilts.
We're often asked why we use a thread that dissolves in water. "Isn't that an oxymoron?" is one of the common questions. There's a great benefit to using Vanish-Lite in our hooped designs. Vanish-Lite helps us tack (or temporarily baste) fabric and additional elements in place so we can build our blocks without extra thread stacking up and adding a lot of bulk to the fabric. It also disappears in a quick soak once you're done with the project. My seam ripper is my arch enemy and with Vanish-Lite, we rarely have a picking moment. Since our quilts are completely stitched in the hoop and each block is totally finished when it comes out of the hoop, MonoPoly comes to the rescue when our sashing that covers the raw edge on the back is stitched to the quilt. MonoPoly blends beautifully into the quilting, you don’t even know it is there.
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