Another hand quilter here. I love the look of hand quilting. You'll definitely need a thimble for your top hand. I like the ones that have the raised edge so the needle doesn't slip off. I also use either masking tape or the little adhesive circles they have now for the underneath finger. It gets pricked a lot. I've used a large hoop and also have used the Q-snap plastic frame. Practice, practice... eventually you'll get the hang of the "rocking" stitch. Good luck.