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hi all, I have had my janome 10001 for 3 yrs and i am signed up to take a class for making a king size quilt that is large embroidered blocks, thought i could teach myself how to use the giga hoop but that is not the case. ( just plain stupid). I have opened up the giga hoop software, imported the design and when i rotate the design the screen goes grey. I have tryed and tryed and i am getting no where. Any sugguestions will be much appreciated..Thanks in advance. pat

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Oh dear, I'm afraid the Giga Hoop doesn't stitch large designs. It's really meant to be used to combine designs. The Giga hoop is 2 140 x 200 mm ( 5.5 inches x 7.87 inches ) overlapped. a design must sit completely in the right hand saide and a second design or a mirror version of the first design, sitting completely in the left hand side. They can occupy the centre area, but can't invade the area of the opposite side, if they do the whole design greys out. If you stick with a design that is 7" x 5" and mirror it, that works, but designs that wont stitch in your normal hoop because they are too big, wont stitch in the Gigahoop either.

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hello, I purchaes a cd for making a quilt by judy nowicki. The designs are already split when combined they are about 12 inches total. My problem is i can't get the 2 designs to line up. I have never had a lesson on the giga hoop and i am so frustrated . Do you mark the fabric first, sort of like a cross, then line it up with the template? I've read in my books to use the jog key to line the needle up into the start position, can't do that either, must be something between my ears, i think they call it a brain. Any and all help is much appreciated. thanks. pat

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I have been trying to install my digitizer program to my new computer. I discovered I needed downloads to make it work in Windows Vista, so I got those. Now, I cant seem to get it to install and open. Any help or advice would be great. Thanks

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Hi Pat, I don't know why but I was certaiin I had your question, but obviously not.
I own the 10000v 3 machine and Janomes Digitiser Pro, Customiser 11000,and Customiser 10000 plus. The Gigahoop, is as has been mentioned 2, 14 cm x 20 cm hoops overlapped to give a hoop that has a 23 cm x 20 cm sewing field. Except it doesnt, what it gives you is 2 distinct sewing fields both 14 cm x 20 cm, side 1 and side 2. Side 1 stitches first, and the design sent to the machine is sent right side up, so to speak. Side 2 stitches second and is sent to the machine upside down, but as you have to turn the hoop through 180 degrees, you'll soon see both designs share exactly the same orientation, upside down while side 2 stitches, and right way up when you unhoop. If you get a sheet of paper and draw a rectangle 23cm or 9? long by 20cm or 7.9 " high you have the extreme height and width of the Giga hoop. Now draw a second ractangle, this time measure 14cm or 5.5? in from the left side of the rectangle top and bottom and join the2 edges, if you have it use a coloured crayon. Now repeat the same thing but this time 14 cm in from the right edge of the rectangle top and bottom. join the top and bottom edges again, using a different coloured crayon. You have 3 rectangles. Now drop a line from the top edge at exactly the mid point 11.5 cm acroos from the left or right or 4.5? , use a third colour, that is the centre point of the hoop.
Ok going from right to left, the first vertical line you meet is the border of the stitch field for hoop 2. The next line is the centre guide line, the third line is the border for the first hoop, draw between the right edge of the rectangle and that coloured line and write hoop 1 ,stitches first.between those arrow heads. Now do the same for the other hoop, just come in the 14 cm and draw the and write hoop 2 stitches second upside down. Look at the third rectangle, now both hoops share it, but a design in hoop 1 must not cross the damarcation line into hoop 2 or it wont save, or stitch. The same goes for a design in hoop 2, it can share the centre area but must not cross the line into hoop 1.
If you don't have customiser but do have the digitiser, you can print out templates of your design/s you intend using in the gigahoop and use the rectangle you've drawn to see how they fit. If they fit properly, or you want to use 1 design to create a mirror image, send the first design to the machine, then mirror the design and flip it upside down, rename it as 2, then stitch the designs turning the hoop when side 1 finishes. You do need a support table for the Giga hoop or it will bounce like crazy, you also need to hoop very carefully as the fabric must be held taut for the whole excersize, you can't rehoop.
If you have Customiser 10000 plus, the Easy Gigahoop takes care of the design flip, all you need do is arrange your designs within their hoop areas. then when you've done that write to CF card or send to machine.
It cant accomodate a design that is larger than one you would stitch in the standard 14 cm x 20 cm hoop. If you try to align split designs you have to visualise half the design upside down so you can judge where to put the lines. It is actually easier to use the standard hoop to join split designs using the no hoop method.
mags

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Hi DM,
Just a question: could you explain your 'no hoop method' please?

Thanks!
Steve in Au

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Hi Steve, no hoop is a bit misleading really, it just means you hoop the stabiliser only and use alignment stitches that digitise to stitch at the end of a design and at the start of the next one. I stitch my alignment line on my stabiliser, it's normally a vertical line, then spray my stabiliser with quilters adhesive spray and line up the last alignment stitches on the design with the ones on the stabiliser. Smooth my fabric so the grain is correct and machine baste the fabric to the stabiliser. Before I bought my industrial machines, I did an awful lot of design splitting using Kathy Jones methods, they all aligned perfectly.
love mags

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Thanks, DM, that's a handy technique. Kathy has some great ideas in her club. Sadly, I wish I could afford to join. For now, I just read her blog & newsletter-some good stuff there though!

Steve.

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Steve, could you do me a me favour, could you set yoourself up a private message box, I have a couple of ideas I'd like to pass by you but privately. I'd rather not use the forum as it clogs up the message threads,
love mags

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I have been doing some in the hoop applique and cannot figure out how to move my hoop forward to trim the fabric. Does anyone know how to do this or if the machine even does that?