i also baste all my quilts really well, and i don't have any problems with them shifting. i have used a hoop for over 10 years to quilt all my quilts (ever since i snapped one of the sticks on my floor frame.) i usually baste the distance from the tip of my thumb to the tip of my pinky when my fingers are spread out (about 5 - 6 inches both cross-wise and length-wise.)