illinois

I don't consider myself an expert quilter but we'll just say experienced and still working at "perfection". I like the round hoop that I position between my lap and a card table at my couch. This allows me to rotate the work and avoid the awkward positioning of my wrist. I can put the extra quilt project and my supplies on the table. I never liked using a metal thimble for any sewing but I really, really like the leather thimble with the "coin" in it. I can feel where the needle is but have the protection of the coin surface. I tried the total leather thimbles and liked them but they wore out too quickly with the repeated contact with a needle. I see that over the years, I am more pleased with the evenness of my stitches but they are far from the tiny stitches of my ancestry. But you asked how tight the thread--You will get a feel for that but it shouldn't be so tight that it puts stress on the thread or so loose that it isn't holding the layers together. Clear as mud, huh?