I have been using a hoop for many years and am comfortable with it, so I feel no need to change to anything else. Like the others, I roll the back side of my fabric up to hold my usually large project around my hoop and always hold the back side of the fabric with my hands. I wash my hands frequently too just like the other stitchers here since oils can build on your skin even while stitching. For very large projects, I buy the short plastic laundry clips in the laundry aisle sold at Walmart and they are small, strong, and work perfectly to clip my fabric and hold it in place. Like many of the others here, I always wash my completed project with the traditional version (no degreaser, bleach, or antibacterial, etc) Dawn Detergent in cool or tepid water, roll my rinsed project in a towel, and press the back side smooth when finished.