There are different types of embroidery frames. Sometimes, the mere choosing of the most proper embroidery frame for your canvas can be as exasperating as the stitching itself. That is why you should be presented with the various opportunities that different embroidery frames offer.

The first opportunity is not to pick up any embroidery frame. In some cases frames are not necessary, as in canvas work, like painted canvas kits, tassels and Hapsberg lace samples.

Another thing to have in mind is that embroidery frames differ in their price. The inexpensive frames are suitable in some cases, but can be inappropriate in more sophisticated embroidery projects. The inexpensive frames are Ring frames, Q-snaps and Stretcher bar frames.

1)Ring frames are best when the frame is 1 inch deep. If the slot is narrower, the fabric can easily slip. The frames can be wooden or plastic, wooden are the better. The fabric must be kept tight in the frame, but with ring frames several difficulties occur. With smaller fabrics, narrower frames are sufficient to keep the cloth taut. But when the fabric is bigger and the embroidery work more complicated, ring frames are easy to let the canvas slip, they cannot hold it tight enough. Plastic frames are easier to let go of the fabric than wooden ones.

2)Q-snaps are another inexpensive type of embroidery frames. Plastic bars are slotted together and the fabric is clipped on a plastic frame. Another piece of plastic is also slotted over the fabric. But the cloth is not taut enough and can easily slip, compared to the scroll bars, stretcher bars and slate frames used in stitching.

3) Stretcher bars are fairly inexpensive and can be the best possible solution for any kind of embroidery. The stretcher bar frames are wooden and the fabric is kept perfectly taut. The bars are sold in pairs, and every bar has dog teeth that keep the tightness of the fabric. Pairs of stretcher bars can be combined together for bigger fabrics. You can form a rectangular shape for the frames by using two pairs. This type of embroidery frames is perfect for Goldwork kits, Shadow embroidery, Whitework kits, Needle painting kits and modern Jacobean kits.

Then come the more expensive types of embroidery frames used on special projects. They are the following:

1) Scroll frames. They have two pairs of bars screwed to one another so that a rectangular shape is acquired. The only drawback is that sometimes the screws get loose and the fabric is not kept tight. But if this is neglected, scroll bars are perfect, as they can be left on a floor or a table, on virtually any kind of surface, and leave your hands free: you dont need to hold the frames all the time. The side bars that fit into holes with the main top and bottom bars can sometimes be too short for your fabric, so you must be careful when choosing the size of the frame. Being too short, the side bars can influence the smoothness of the fabric and can leave creases.

2) The second embroidery frame is slate frames. The main bars have tape staples onto which you fit the fabric. Slate frames also have trestles, with which they stand on stable surface. They are extremely comfortable. The side arms are slightly longer than the scroll frames, so that the fabric is protected from creasing.

3) Lacing. It is an improved version of the scroll frames. Scroll frames use only the main bars for tension over the fabric. With lacing, the fabric is sewn on the four sides, on the side bars as well, to ensure better tension so that the canvas is better stretched. If the fabric is soft and tears easily, sew a tape of curtain cloth on the edges and then attach them to the bars.