I am a hoop quilter, a size 14 mostly. I have tried going hoopless because I think I would ultimately prefer that, but I just can't seem to get it all together. I wish I had someone I could work w/that can do both methods (or even just one method very well) so that when I run into a problem they could help me through it. I do use the Thimble Lady thimble though.
Today I am going to watch as many utubes as I can to see some of the hoopless methods in action. My problem usually arises when I get to the middle and I'm not sure exactly how to hold the fabric.