Remember my Embroidery Hoop Wall Pockets pattern from Stitch Fall 2011? You can download it for free by clicking right here.

We’ve been doing a little spring cleaning and reorganizing around here which has included my sewing area (pics to come soon), and I finally got around to hanging the samples that I made for the Stitch photo shoot. The one above hangs right behind my sewing machines, and I absolutely love how convenient it makes grabbing my little thread scissors, my handy tweezers, or even my trusty seam ripper.

Here’s the third hoop hung over my ironing table:

And the original prototype over my work table:

If you don’t hang your hoop the right way, it can be more of a pain than a helpful tool. Tara asked on the Fabric.com Facebook Page a couple of days ago for suggestions on hanging decorative embroidery hoops because hers keep blowing off the wall when her windows are open, so I thought I’d share a few quick pictures to show how I hang these pockets so that they don’t go flying across the room when you want to enjoy spring breezes or just grab your scissors! Here’s a picture of what the wall looks like behind the hoop over my machines:

Hopefully, you can see that fairly well. You can click on the picture for a larger version. I start out by measuring across the hoop about a third of the way down from the top, then I measure from the center point of that line down to the bottom of the hoop. Like this:

Using my level, I measure out and make a mark on the wall at each of those three points, then I place a small screw at each mark. You want the hoop to be pretty snug on the screws when you slide it on. These three screws hold the hoop nicely if you’re hanging simply for decoration. If you have pockets on your hoop, though, I suggest adding a nail just under the little tension-tightening screw. That nail will keep your hoop nice and straight. Of course, even with all these measures, if you lose your temper and yank that seam ripper out of the pocket hard enough, your hoop will end up in your lap, so no yanking!

It’s been really fun to watch other people take this simple little idea of mine and add their personal touch to it! Need some inspiration for making a few? Check out these:

Amy from During Quiet Time organized a Hanging Hoop Wall Pocket Swap last fall, and there were some beautiful hoops created. The stamped “Sew Happy” and the measuring tape twill trim make Amy’s hoop just perfect:

I love the patchwork that Krista at Spotted Stones pieced together for this one. What a great way to use up some of your scrap collection!

Wendy from Mama&CO embellished this hoop with lace and fabric-covered buttons, and she added a pin cushion!

Sew Peachey’s Karen used one of my favorite color combinations of aqua and red for her pieced hoop:

Finally, the painted black hoop is the perfect frame for the Kokeshi pockets that Tiffany at A Fabric Affair made for her sewing studio:

Need more ideas? Check out the Hanging Hoop Wall Pocket Swap Flickr Group! Now, what are you waiting for? The free instructions are right here: Embroidery Hoop Wall Pockets. Go make one and be sure to share!