Originally Posted by Prism99

I took a hand quilting class from Roxanne McElroy, Dierdra McElroy's mother!

The type of thimble you use is important. Personal choice varies, but for starting out I highly recommend a thimble that has a high ridge around the edge and dimples deep enough for your needle to stay in the dimple. Most thimbles that are sold routinely in stores are made for hand sewing; quilting requirements for a thimble are different. For a long time my favorite thimble was made of both metal and leather; leather surrounding the finger, and the deep ridge of metal for the tip (and I think the metal part was two colors). I got mine in a quilt shop. If I can find a picture, I will post it.

The other thing that really helps is having a lap hoop with a swiveling top. Mine is no longer made, but the closest thing to it is the one from Grace company:
http://www.graceframe.com/site/hoops/laphoops
The hoop sits in your lap so both hands are free for quilting, and the swivel & tilt features mean you can easily adjust the angle to suit your style. If I couldn't get one of these, I would opt for a floor hoop.