I had to take the quilt out of the hoop, but I was able to find the beginning of her stitching (she had only finished about 10 inches of stitching) and I found a very small, hidden knot yet a tail of thread about an inch long. What a confusing lady she was being! Also, she does have pins around all four edges as well as spaced about a foot apart in the quilt.
The stitches stay pretty consistant at 4 per inch.
Is it possible a combination of her age (maybe some arthritis or eye problems?) and the fact she was making them as charity (needing to be quick) that might explain the rather sparse stitching?
The quilt was in the hoop when we found it
The stitches are precisely the same underneath as they are on top
She appears to be going lengthwise 1/4 in from the horizontal seam lines, going over both the colored and plain blocks.