Patent ID: 8661995

Claim:
A material retaining device for an item to be embroidered by an embroidery machine, the material retaining device comprising: a first hoop, wherein the first hoop defines a first opening therethrough and the first hoop comprises a plurality of individual spaced apart magnets and a non-magnetic material, the plurality of individual spaced apart magnets attached to the non-magnetic material; a second hoop, wherein the second hoop defines a second opening therethrough and the second hoop comprises a quantity of metal sufficient for the first hoop to be attracted to the second hoop, wherein magnetic attraction between the first hoop and the second hoop enables the material to be held in place between the first hoop and the second hoop for embroidery, wherein the second hoop is separable from the first hoop at least when the second hoop is magnetically disengaged from the first hoop, and wherein only one of the first hoop and second hoop is adapted to be supported directly by the embroidery machine, and the other of the first hoop and second hoop is held substantially stationary by the magnetic attraction.