You need the small embroidery hoop if you want to embroider small items or tight places that don’t fit in the standard 4×4 inch hoop such as infant clothes, socks, t-shirt sleeves, monograms on collars or cuffs.
It’s best to use the smallest hoop that the design can fit in, because it will be easier to get the fabric tight and even, reduce the chance of distortions in the design due to the extra fabric around the design, and save on stabilizer. So even if you can hoop the project in the 4×4 inch hoop, the small 2 x 1.5 inch hoop can be helpful to have if you embroider small monograms or motifs.
The adjustment screw makes it easy to hoop different weight fabrics.
The hoop includes a clear, plastic grid. The notches and marks on the grid help you line up and accurately place the designs.
There are only five reviews at Amazon, 4 5-star and 1 4-star. Here’s what one reviewer said about how she uses this hoop:
This is ideal for small embroidery projects on my Brother SE350. I used it to embroidery initials on a quilt square. It was easy to attach the small quilt square and it turned out very nice.
The Brother SA431 Small Hoop Works with these Machines
The Brother SA431 Small Hoop is for use with these embroidery machines: Brother SE-400, SE-350, LB-6800PRW, LB6770PRW, SE270D, HE-120, HE-240, Innov-ís 500D, Innov-ís 900D, Innov-ís 950D, PE-270D, PE-300S, and PE-400D.
Where To Buy The Small Brother Hoop
The best place I’ve found to buy Brother embroidery hoops is at Amazon.com. For current pricing information, availability, and to get free shipping, click here:
Hi I brought the different size hoops for the SE400 . I am trying to use the small one, so I can do some baby things . But I am having trouble getting it to line up to snap it on . Seems like the sewing foot is in the way , and I don’t want to push down to hard to snap in it place . Is there a different way to put it on ?
Thanks Diane
I have a brother SE425. the slightly new model of the se 400 and just bought the SA 431 hoop because i wanted to monogram koozies and shirt collars. But i can’t figure out why it wont let me select the smaller hoop on the machine. Its grayed out and says my embroidery pattern is like 7 inches when its a 1.5 initial. the only thing i can think of was that i selected the larger hoop size wheni made the design in my SewWhat. I cant figure out how to make it smaller either in pe design or SewWhat. SewWhat auto reverts when i saw the file to a 4X4. any thoughts? I have no ideaa who to ask or how to fix it.
Hi Shelly, I don’t know anything about SewWhat because I use Embrilliance. I would start over and create the design again, making sure to select the correct hoop size.
I have the brother se425 machine, do you know if the smaller hoops that say fit the 400 will also fit the 425. They say the 425 replaced the 400, was just wondering. Thanks
Hi Carla, I think the 425 is just a new label that Brother made for Walmart with a CD containing 100 additional embroidery designs. The specifications are the same as the SE400, and so I think that SE400 hoops will fit. (Not based on experience — I haven’t tried it since I only have the SE400.) It only replaced the SE400 at Walmart stores. SE400 sales on Amazon.com are still going strong and Walmart.com only sells the SE400.