I use a Roxanne #11 quilting between
I use a round lap hoop. I think it is a 14" diameter
I love love love Valdani 35 wt thread for hand quilting. It is not coated so you can also use in machine. Have bees so beeswax is in abundence and I do run my thread through beeswax just before I thread the length on the needle.
http://www.valdani.com/products/#spools
When threading needles I like to load up about 6 needles before starting a session.
I mark as I go with chalko liner or Fons and Porter mechanical pencil. I found out the hard way that these items rub off to easily if you mark the entire top and then try quilting. By the time I got to my 3rd hoopful I couldn't see any of my markings.
My hand quilting time is my therapy and I sit with my husband as he watches TV and I alternate between watching the TV and watching my quilting stitches.
I do not use anything on my underneath hand. I have special thimbles for top hand that has the back of the thimble cut out for my fingernail. I am wierd I push the needle with index finger and thumb instead of the middle finger. So I have a thimble for both index and thumb. I can not start stitches with any thimble so I push the needle with my fingernail to get it started. Then I slip the thimble on and do the rocking stitch. Here is a link to a thread that I posted showing how I quilt
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-29365-1.htm