I never use a hoop. As long as the quilt is basted well you can hand quilt it without a hoop. I get much better stitches without a hoop. When I first started hand quilting my instructor recommended a hoop. I tried until I was almost in tears to make that darn hoop work but just couldn't do it. I went on QB and asked the same question you're asking and found there were many hand quilters that didn't use a hoop. So I went back to my instructor and explained the situation to her and she said "Oh, you don't have to use a hoop just bast it really good!" Good luck with your quilt, I think you'll find it is fun.