Just like a recipe in the kitchen, your in-the-hoop "recipe for success" starts with quality ingredients. For comparison's sake, we test-sewed the same in-the-hoop savory potholder twice: once doing everything wrong that we could, then again using our recipe for success. Read on to see the results.
 

Needle
 

In the examples below, you can see the noticeable difference in the results: the universal needle leaves big holes behind and lets the embroidery thread pull at the fabric, while the sharp needle leaves the fabric more intact.

To learn more about needle types and features, see this article called "Know Your Needle."
 

The tearaway stabilizer you choose can have a big effect on your finished in-the-hoop project. For our first example we used Inspira medium-weight tearaway, and for the second we used Terradon Clean Tear.

Take a close look at these tearaway stabilizers before we embroider anything on them. The one on the left has larger fibers in a more visible pattern. The one on the right has a somewhat finer texture. If you could feel these samples, the one on the right would be slightly more flexible than the one on the left.

When you tear away the stabilizer at the end of an in-the-hoop project, you'll sometimes notice little bits of stabilizer left behind. Everyone has a different word for them -- fuzzies, pokies, wispies -- you know what I mean. The amount and texture of the fuzzies will vary depending on which kind of stabilizer you use.

Here are the results from our tests:

Using tweezers is a good way to remove these fuzzies -- with scissors, there's a danger of cutting into the satin stitch border. The fewer fuzzies you have in the first place, the easier this will be.

Another handy technique is to fold the stabilizer back and forth along the satin stitch edge before tearing it away. Just like when you crease a piece of a paper in order to tear it cleanly, folding the stabilizer will help weaken the fibers along the edge of your in-the-hoop project, leaving a cleaner edge.

We've also tested other tearaway stabilizers to see what "fuzzies" they left behind. Here's what we found out:

Hooping
 

We hooped our first project very loosely. The dielines, which should have been covered by the satin stitch border, showed in places.

And in one spot, even though we'd lined up the fabric precisely with the dieline, the satin stitch border didn't cover the edge of the fabric at all. On the tightly hooped project, the satin stitch border covered the fabric and dielines all the way around.

And there you have it! Cut and apply your fabric carefully, stitch with a 75/11 sharp sewing needle, select a good quality tearaway stabilizer, and hoop tightly -- that's your in-the-hoop recipe for success.