Most caps provide enough space on the sides for the addiction of small designs or text. And though the surface is slightly curved, it's much flatter than the front or back, which means less chance for distortion.

If you have a 270-degree cap frame, and there is a 90% chance that you do, then you can sew on the front and both sides with one hooping. However, many embroiderers run into problems with the quality of the side embroidery when done using this method. It's quite common to end up with a crooked design, especially if it's a line of text. The real culprit is the hooping, not the frame. It's quite challenging to get the cap framed properly, and more times than not, it's due to the construction of the cap. As a result, many shops prefer to sew the sides of the cap with a separate hooping. We will look at two methods of doing this.

Cap Side hooping Method #1

The first (alternative) method is to use a tubular hoop, typically the 12cm one. You can hoop the side like any other garment. And because the side is virtually flat, it's quite simple to manage with a tubular hoop. Much like doing the back of the cap, you will need create some kind of frame or "jig" to assist with the framing the corner of a table works well, plus there are also some commercial aids available designed specifically for cap situations such as the one produced by hoopmaster. The only real challenge when hooping the side is the sweatband. You must make every effort to pull it out of the way! If you sew through it, there is an extremely high likelihood that the cap will not fit the wearer properly.