My mother did a lot of hand quilting with a hoop.She had her knee fused and could not use a frame. She would baste the three layers together about a foot apart and start hand quilting in the middle. That way any wrinkles could be worked out as you go. The hoop was wooden and about 18 inches across. She also had an oval one. The hoop does not create marks that last in your work. She did dozens of them without any problems. I think plces like JoAnn Fabric, Michaels, etc would have the hoops. they are not very expensive.