I also hand quilt king size in a hoop just hanging out in my lap in my comfy chair. I have migrated to thread basting quilts that large vs pin basting to help reduce the weight. I've only used W&N for hand quilting. I don't find it particularly difficult but perhaps that's just because I don't know any better. LOL. If your friend is planning to have this an an heirloom piece, she may want to check into silk batting as well. It feels abolutely luscious. I've also just used a single piece of batting and not had issues with bulk.