Stitchable Area vs. Hoop Size: What’s the Difference? -

If you’ve ever tried to figure out whether a design will fit in your embroidery hoop and felt a little confused — you’re not alone! The terms hoop size and stitchable area are used differently across machine brands, and that can make things feel more complicated than they need to be.

Some manufacturers list the outside dimensions of the hoop, others reference the inside opening, and many switch between inches and millimeters depending on the model. To make things even trickier, two hoops with the same listed size — like a 6″ x 10″ — may offer different actual stitchable areas depending on whether the hoop is oval or rectangular.

So let’s break this down in a way that makes sense.

Why Hoop Size Isn’t the Same as Stitchable Area

The number printed on your hoop is not usually the number of inches you can actually stitch in. That’s because your embroidery foot needs room to move safely around the perimeter of the design.

For example, imagine the inside of your hoop measures 8″ x 10″. Even though that’s the full space inside the frame, you can’t stitch all the way to the edges. You need to allow for the width of the embroidery foot and the movement clearance your machine requires. A good rule of thumb is to subtract about ½” from every side.

So:

8″ x 10″ inside measurement
minus ~½” all the way around
equals approximately 7″ x 9″ stitchable area

Now let’s say you have a hoop with an inside opening that measures 9″ x 11″. After subtracting that same clearance, your stitchable area would be very close to an 8″ x 10″ design space — even though the hoop itself isn’t labeled as an “8×10.”

This is why relying on hoop size alone can be misleading.

What RBD Machine Embroidery Uses — and Why

At RBD Machine Embroidery, we always refer to the stitchable area rather than the manufacturer’s hoop label. This is the most accurate and consistent way to ensure that our designs will fit your hoop exactly as expected — regardless of what your machine brand calls the hoop.

Every project we create lists the minimum stitchable area required so you can confidently choose the right hoop before you begin stitching.

To make things even simpler, we’ve put together a chart (see below) with stitchable areas for the most popular machine makes and models. This guide will help you match your hoop to our designs without guesswork, conversions, or trial and error.

Brand	Machine	Hoop	Actual size
Janome	Continental M17	RE46d	11.3” x 18.2
	Janome Memory Craft 100E and 1000	SQ14a hoop	5.5×5.5″ max
	Memory craft 9850 limited edition Skyline S9	RE20a	6.7” x 7.9”(170mm x 200mm)
	Memory Craft 550E Limited Edition Memory Craft 500E Limited edtion	RE36b	7.9 x 14.2″
	MC400E	SQ20b Hoop	7.9 x 7.9″
Babylock	Reflections		9.5 x 14″
	Radiance and Radiance limited edtion		11 5/8 x 18 1/4″
	Merician 2		9.5″ X 14″
	Altair 2		9.5″ X 14″
	Solairis Vision		10 5/8 x 16″
	Bloom		5×7 max size
	Aurora		4×4 max size
	Vesta	Embroidery frame set (extra large)	26 cm (H) × 16 cm (W) (10-1/4 inches (H) × 6-1/4 inches (W)
	Flare	Embroidery frame set (extra large)	27 cm (H) × 16 cm (W) (10-1/4 inches (H) × 6-1/4 inches (W)
	Pathfinder	Embroidery frame set (extra large)	H 300 mm × W 200mm (H 12 inches × W 8 inches)
	Aerial	Embroidery frame set (extra large)	H 300 mm × W 200mm (H 12 inches × W 8 inches)
Pfaff	PFAFF® creative expression™ 750 Sewing and Embroidery Machine	creative™ Deluxe Hoop	(360x200mm (14.17 x 7.87″)
	PFAFF® creative expect™ 350 Sewing & Embroidery Machine		6.7″ x 3.9″ (170 x 100 mm)
	PFAFF Creative 3.0 sewing and emb machine	creative™ Elite hoop	260×200) (7.87 x 10.23″)
	PFAFF® Creative Performance™ 950 Sewing & Embroidery Machine	creative™ Supreme Hoop	360×260) (14.17 x 10.23″)
	PFAFF® creative icon™ 2 Sewing & Embroidery Machine	Grand Dream Hoop	360 x 350 mm
	PFAFF® creative™ 4.5 Sewing & Embroidery Machine		Max embroidery space 13.8″ x 14.2″ (350 x 360mm
Viking	HUSQVARNA® VIKING® DESIGNER QUARTZ™ 29 Sewing & Embroidery Machine		170 mm x 100 mm
	HUSQVARNA® VIKING® DESIGNER TOPAZ™ 40 Sewing & Embroidery Machine	DESIGNER™ Jewel Hoop	(240×150) (9.45 x 5.9″
	HUSQVARNA® VIKING® DESIGNER SAPPHIRE™ 85 Sewing & Embroidery Machine	DESIGNER™ Royal Hoop	(360×200)
	HUSQVARNA® VIKING® DESIGNER TOPAZ™ 50 Sewing & Embroidery Machine	DESIGNER™ Royal Hoop	(360×200)
	HUSQVARNA® VIKING® DESIGNER RUBY™ 90 Sewing & Embroidery Machine	DESIGNER™ Imperial Hoop	(360×260)
	HUSQVARNA® VIKING® DESIGNER EPIC™ 3 Sewing & Embroidery Machine Starlight Bronze	DESIGNER™ Regal Hoop	(465x260mm)
	HUSQVARNA® VIKING® DESIGNER TOPAZ™ 65 Sewing & Embroidery Machine	DESIGNER™ Royal Hoop	(360×200)
Brother	Essence Innov-ís VM5200		8×12
	NQ1700E	Embroidery frame set (extra large)	26 cm (H) × 16 cm (W) (10-1/4 inches (H) × 6-1/4 inches (W)
	NQ3700D	Embroidery frame set (extra large)	26 cm (H) × 16 cm (W) (10-1/4 inches (H) × 6-1/4 inches (W)
	XE1		9.5 x 14
Bernina	bernette 70 DECO	Embroidery hoop large	160 x 260 mm (6.29 x 10.23″)
	bernette 79 Yaya Han Edition	Embroidery Hoop Large,	160 x 260 mm (6.29 x 10.23″)
	bernette 79	Embroidery Hoop Large,	160 x 260 mm (6.29 x 10.23″)
	BERNINA 500 E	Large oval embroidery hoop	145 x 255 mm (5.70 x 10.04 in
	BERNINA 700 E	Large oval embroidery hoop	145 x 255 mm (5.70 x 10.04 in*** This is the largest hoop that comes with the machine, but they can purchase larger ones	265 x 165 (10.43 x 6.49″)
	BERNINA 540 E	Large oval embroidery hoop	145 x 255 mm (5.70 x 10.04 in	265 x 165 (10.43 x 6.49″)
	BERNINA 535 E	Embroidery hoop oval	145 x 255 mm (5.70 x 10.03 inch	265 x 165 (10.43 x 6.49″)
	BERNINA 700 PRO	Embroidery hoop oval	145 x 255 mm (5.70 x 10.03 inch	265 x 165 (10.43 x 6.49″)
	BERNINA 570 QE with Embroidery	Embroidery hoop oval	145 x 255 mm (5.70 x 10.03 inch	265 x 165 (10.43 x 6.49″)
		Large Oval Embroidery Hoop	5.7 x 10.0 inches
		Small Embroidery Hoop	2 x 2.8 inches
		Medium Embroidery Hoop	3.9 x 5.1 inches
		Large embroidery Hoop (for Artista models only)	6.1 x 7.8 inches
		Mega Embroidery Hoop	5.9 x 15.7 inches
		Midi Embroidery Hoop	10.4 x 6.5 inches
		Maxi Embroidery Hoop	8.2 x 15.7 inches / 40 x 21cm / 208 x 399
		Jumbo Embroidery Hoop	10.2 x 15.7 mm / 40 x 23cm / 260 x 399mm
		Giant Embroidery Hoop (compatable with B990 machine only)	305 x 410 mm / 12″ x 16.1″