Well, you've gotten good advice here and your LQS as to how tight to have your quilt in the hoop. There's nothing wrong with not using a hoop. I do it both ways depending on how large/heavy the quilt is. I like using a hoop if for no other reason than an easy way to find where I left off stitching. And you can still do your 'running' stitch using the hoop. Find the rhythm that works for you. As long as your stitches are consistent size doesn't matter. They will get smaller over time.