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Watch the video: “How to use the Bernina Mega Hoop on a 5 Series Machine” by Bernina of Naperville.
If the size of your embroidery dreams just outgrew your standard hoop, the Bernina Mega Hoop is your bridge to bigger, seamless stitch-outs. This beginner-friendly tutorial shows exactly how to hoop, scale, and follow prompts to reposition on a 5-series machine—so larger designs stitch as one clean motif without visible breaks. Fear of moving the hoop? Not after this.
What you’ll learn
- How to identify Mega Hoop parts and choose the right placement template for Bernina 5-series
- A foolproof hooping routine with stabilizer and wishbone clips for smooth tension
- How to select the Mega Hoop on-screen and proportionally scale a design to fit
- How to follow prompts and reposition the hoop to positions 1, 2, and 3 for seamless results
- Quick checks and fixes for common “it keeps asking me to move the hoop” hiccups
What is the Bernina Mega Hoop? The Mega Hoop is designed to let your Bernina 5-series embroider designs larger than a standard hoop area by sliding between three distinct positions. On the hoop’s arm are positions labeled 1, 2, and 3. When you squeeze the clamp, the slider releases; when you move to a numbered position and it clicks in, the machine reads small bumps on the hoop to verify its placement. If it doesn’t click, the machine won’t recognize the position and will keep prompting you.
Hoops for Bernina 5-Series Machines Inside the Mega Hoop packaging, you’ll find: inner and outer hoop frames, a placement template, wishbone clips, and documentation. There are two templates—purple (for newer Berninas, including the B 500, B 570, and B 590) and orange (for older models). For this tutorial, the instructor uses the purple template on a Bernina B 500.
Open the box carefully—the manual is actually helpful for labeling parts and getting oriented.
The included manual and template clearly depict which piece is which, so take a minute to skim and match the diagram to your parts.
Understanding the Repositionable Mechanism Here’s the heart of the Mega Hoop: slide and click. Position 1 is one end of the hoop’s travel, position 2 is the center, and position 3 is the opposite end. Your machine uses the hoop’s bumps to know where you’ve parked it. If the hoop isn’t fully seated, the machine will ask again for the same position—do not force it; instead, squeeze the clamp to release, slide deliberately, and listen/feel for the click.
A close view of the sensor bumps shows how the machine “knows” hoop position. This matters: precise clicks equal precise alignment.
Watch out: If you move the hoop before your screen tells you to, alignment can drift. Let the machine prompt you first; then slide until you hear that click.
Preparing Your Fabric for Embroidery Choosing the Right Stabilizer In the video, the instructor builds a simple sandwich: white fabric with fusible fleece and fusible woven on the back. For that single-color design, it provides enough body without over-stiffening. In a separate comment thread, the shop also shared that batting was used for a wispy motif that didn’t require heavy stabilization. When in doubt, test a small sample first.
Hooping Your Project Correctly The Mega Hoop has two screws—top and bottom. Loosen them evenly so the hoop opens uniformly. Position the fabric and stabilizer stack, align the inner hoop, then press the outer hoop into place. Keep the hoop sides parallel with the fabric edges as you seat the frame. Tighten both screws a little at a time to avoid distortion.
Quick check: The fabric should look smooth and wrinkle-free with a consistent, drum-like tension—no ripples along the edges. If you see bulging, pause and adjust.
Maximizing Fabric Tension with Wishbone Clips If the fabric still balloons along the edges, snap on the wishbone clips. They can be placed in different notches; the center notches pull more tautly but can be harder to seat, so choose what fits securely on your project. They’re especially helpful near stubborn areas along the hoop’s edges.
From the comments: One user found the clips tight along the side that attaches to the machine. If you’re experiencing that, it may simply be a snug fit—align the groove carefully and seat the clip over the metal strip as space allows. If it won’t sit without force, choose a nearby notch that holds tension without interfering with the machine attachment.
Setting Up Your Bernina 5-Series Machine Selecting the Mega Hoop on the Touchscreen On the B 500, select your design—here, the Noel motif from the Love folder—and then choose the Mega Hoop in the hoop selection menu before any scaling. This ensures the machine displays the correct stitchable area.
Scaling Your Design for a Perfect Fit Next, proportionally enlarge the design until it nearly fills the displayed hoop area. Proportional scaling protects the design’s integrity by maintaining stitch relationships. Confirm with the green checkmark to indicate your hoop is prepared.
Pro tip: Always choose your hoop on-screen first, then scale. It guards against over- or under-sizing and keeps you within the hoop’s boundaries. If you plan to combine multiple designs in one hooping, you can bring in as many as fit. Depending on your machine model, grouping is possible, but it’s not always necessary—Bernina’s select-all layer can help you manage everything at once.
The Embroidery Process with Repositioning Following Machine Prompts for Hoop Movement Mount the Mega Hoop on the embroidery module and slide it under the foot. Start stitching. Your screen will prompt when it’s time to reposition—for example, “Move to position 3.” On the B 500, you will manually lift the presser foot when prompted (the B 570 and B 590 can lift automatically). Slide the hoop to the indicated number until you feel and hear the click, then press OK (green check) to proceed.
If your machine keeps asking for the same position even after you slide, you likely haven’t clicked fully into place. Squeeze the clamp to release, slide to the new position, listen for the click, and confirm on-screen.
Achieving Seamless Large Designs The machine stitches each segment with precise alignment across positions 1, 2, and 3. When done correctly, your finished design will read as a single, seamless motif with no visible repositioning lines. The Noel sample in the video demonstrates a clean result across the whole length of the Mega Hoop’s field.
Quick check
- Only move the hoop when prompted on-screen
- Confirm a positive click into each position
- Verify the screen shows the correct position before resuming
- On the B 500, lift the presser foot when asked
From the comments: troubleshooting position prompts
- If the machine keeps asking for a position you’ve already selected: the hoop likely isn’t seated. Squeeze the clamp, slide again, and ensure a positive click before hitting the green checkmark.
- New hoop sliding stiff? Practice “dry” sliding between 1–2–3 off the machine to get familiar with the feel of each click.
- 7- and 8-series users: Replies from the channel note that sliding is not required on these models; use the hoop at position 2 and stitch as usual.
Tips for Best Results Even Tension is Key
- Loosen and tighten both screws evenly to keep the frame square to the fabric.
- Use wishbone clips where the fabric tends to bulge.
- Stabilizer choice matters: fuse smoothly, and test with your fabric.
- Keep the fabric grain straight in the hoop and the hoop sides parallel to the fabric edges.
Practice Makes Perfect
- Rehearse moving between positions 1, 2, and 3 without stitching to learn the feel of each click.
- Start with a simple, single-color design while you build confidence.
- Always follow the machine’s prompts—not what you think the next section should be.
Watch out
- Don’t move the hoop early. Wait for the on-screen prompt; then slide and click.
- If you don’t hear a click, the machine won’t register the position—try again.
- On the B 500, the presser foot won’t lift automatically; remember to lift when asked.
From the comments: model notes
- B 790/7-series and B 880/8-series: The shop confirms there’s no need to slide during stitching—set to position 2 and proceed.
- Older models (e.g., B 560, B 580): The channel doesn’t produce videos for these machines and notes differences in operating systems. If you’re using an older model, consult your local dealer for training and accessory support.
Unlock Your Embroidery Potential! Once you master sliding to positions 1, 2, and 3, the Mega Hoop opens up borders, long text, and larger monograms—projects around 5.5 x 15.5 inches can stitch as one polished design. The Noel sample was proportionally enlarged nearly to the hoop’s full area and still stitched cleanly. You’ll finish with an even stitch field and no visible joins.
From the comments: design sizing confidence Some designs can be enlarged well beyond the widely cited “20% rule”; test-stitch before the final, and remember that proportional scaling on the machine (or in Bernina embroidery software) helps preserve stitch quality. Your machine’s hoop selection screen keeps you inside the limits of the Mega Hoop’s stitchable area.
Planning beyond this tutorial: combining motifs
- You can place multiple designs as long as they fit inside the hoop’s stitch field.
- Depending on your model, grouping is available; or use select-all to manage placement.
- For seasonal runners or multi-panel motifs, this saves re-hooping time.
Pro tip: If you’re exploring accessory options beyond the Mega Hoop for different projects, you’ll see many hoop systems in the market. Do your homework and compare compatibility carefully to your machine. bernina magnetic hoops
Accessory landscape: If you prefer non-repositionable magnetic systems for other tasks, look for options specifically built for your brand. On Bernina, many sewists search for terms like magnetic embroidery hoops for bernina when evaluating alternatives. Keeping compatibility in mind is key to smooth stitching.
If you’re curious about brand-specific magnetic frames, some makers consider third-party solutions designed to fit particular machines, often browsing phrases such as magnetic hoops for bernina embroidery machines. Your dealer can help you confirm fit and best practices.
Shoppers also compare repositionable and magnetic options by name. If you’ve heard of products like dime snap hoop monster bernina or snap hoop monster for bernina, remember to verify which models they support and how they install before you buy.
For Bernina-specific searches, people often use terms like bernina magnetic hoop or bernina magnetic embroidery hoop. Again, the right fit and proper installation are essential to protect the machine and achieve consistent results.
If you’re researching the Mega Hoop itself, try search terms like mega hoop bernina to find documentation, compatible models, and tutorials that match your machine generation.
Finally, if you’re comparing snap-in options across brands, queries like dime snap hoop bernina can surface model-specific guidance. When in doubt, your local Bernina dealer remains the best source for up-to-date compatibility and support.
From the comments: encouragement and next steps
- Viewers shared that this tutorial demystified repositioning and gave them confidence to pull the Mega Hoop out of the box.
- If you returned your hoop before learning to slide-and-click, several commenters said they wish they hadn’t—this technique makes large-format embroidery viable and fun.
Quick reference: what’s shown in the video
- Machine: Bernina 5-series (B 500 shown)
- Hoop: Bernina Mega Hoop (repositionable, positions 1–2–3)
- Templates: Purple (newer Berninas), Orange (older models)
- Materials example: White fabric with fusible fleece and fusible woven; single-color stitching
- Design: “Noel” from the Love folder, proportionally enlarged to nearly fill the hoop
- Prompts shown: Move to position 3; later move to position 1; confirm with green check
- Result: Seamless stitch-out across repositioned segments
You’ve got this. Slide confidently, listen for the click, and let your 5-series guide you from one position to the next. Seamless large designs are absolutely within reach.