I've hand quilted hundreds of quilts. only had about 10 machined.
I like using quilting thread. I do a lot of white and ecru hand quilting.
I do feathers and ropes too, so I do them in borders. go for consistency,
not how many per inch. try to start off with about 5 per inch, if you're comfortable,
try for more. have fun, it's your first quilt, and don't let anyone tell you that
you're doing it wrong, it's your quilt.