I like my stitches a little smaller as well. Usually 5-6 per inch. I use a hand made leather thimble (DD makes them for me) and no hoop. I board/hand baste Sharon Schamber method, works great. Recently finished a lap quilt with clamshells. Very quick. Just started to machine quilt a twin, started the 2nd line of stitching and immediately turned off the machine as I hate wrestling a big quilt on a small machine. Told my DD that I don't have the patience to machine quilt...