An Aunt Becky, to answer your question, is a bent piece of metal which fits over the tip of your underneath quilting finger and catches the needle as it comes from the top and helps you to turn it round to go back into the fabric, and head back to the top. It takes a while to learn how to use it, but it surely helps save your finger tips. I use a large, wide hoop to quilt in. I have a hoop with a stand also and use it sometimes. And, I have quilted using just the quilt in my lap; it just depends on the back and how it feels that day.