When hand quilting, I do not quilt with a hoop...it is too constraining for me. I do baste my quilts very well to be able to quilt without the hoop. I am self taught to quilt...maybe if I had ever taken a class on hand quilting, I would have learned how to use a hoop....but my quilts that are hand quilted do turn out flat, so I am ok without using a hoop.