You might also try quilting with NO hoop. There is no law that says you need a hoop. I do it both ways. Depends on the size of the quilt and the quilting pattern for me. If I'm quilting a large quilt I'll typically thread baste as opposed to pin basting. One of the main reasons I prefer quilting with a hoop is that when I scrunch it up when I'm done for that session, it's easier to find where I left off! Otherwise, in the actual quilting itself, it doesn't seem to make a difference for me.

I hand quilt without a loop, and I have no problems doing that way at all. As far as practicing is concernedf, all you really need to do is get some inexpensive fabric or use something that you already have at home, get some stencils, a good marking pen ( I use the new fusion pens that come off when heat is applied), mark your sample and start hand quilting. I would suggest getting between needles for hand quilting ( I like size 9 because it is easy for me to thread, but a size 10would also work).
Have fun learning how to hand quilt.

Personally, I like the PVC Tubing frames, they come in all sizes and you can adjust them easily, the standing one
is for a larger quilt but is nice too. I know in Lancaster, they have shops of uncompleted tops, that sell very
reasonable. But if you just want to take muslin, trace something on it and follow the design, that is great to practice.
Another thought is when you hand quilt make sure when you enter with your needle stand your needle straight up
and down, when going into the fabric. It helps with making your stitches consistant and small. Good Luck, I love
handquilting, it is so relaxing and you can see progress right away. Good Luck, hope this helps.

Get a smaller hoop, obtain one of those red handkerchiefs with a nice design to it, layer it like a quilt and practice with that for a while. That would be small enough to perfect your techniques before tackling a regular quilt.