I use an oval hoop, sit at a table and prop one of the longer sides on the table for some stability. The quilt needs to be a little loose in the hoop so it is easier to quilt. I do a rocking stitch and it took several adjustments to determine how much give I required for the best results.
As mentioned previously, Alex Anderson has tutorials on the many facets of hand quilting.
http://www.thequiltshow.com/
Select: Daily Blog
Category - Tutorials
May 2011
June 2011
Lesson 1 starts on June 28