I love to but need to piece something quick so I can get back to it. Faintly, love your bright Quilt and big stitches. NZ, with a new baby, you can certainly put hand quilting on the back burner...
And an invitation to join a group! That's great!
What kind of thread do you all prefer to use?

BIG!! Perle cotton #8 or #12 or crochet thread in 20 or 30 weight.

I love that!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow!!

I use a good quilting thread. I can't off hand recall the make. But I won't go cheap for something like that.

Yes, these days I stick with hand quilting with added hand embroidery. I originally learned piecing and quilting by machine but I never enjoyed the process, only the results. It took getting into knitting and hand embroidery to realize my love is handwork. I still machine quilt utility quilts (basic grid only, with walking foot) and I do still machine piece although I've started hand piecing too (although I admit long seams are easier on the machine). I'd rather stitch curled up on the couch :)

I quilt without a hoop or thimble. Jacquie Harvey's tutorials are terrific for quilting without a thimble and Sharon Schamber's basting tutorial is invaluable for hoopless quilting.

I miss seeing hand quilting at shows. There are a few entered here and there, but not many. I do love seeing machine quilting, it's gloriously beautiful, but I miss seeing hand quilting too.

Beautiful! Very effective

For big stitch I use perle cotton (either 8 or 12, depends on the project). The only specific 'hand quilting' thread I've tried is Gutermann's. I'd like to try Superior's next.

I, too, hand quilt - so far, exclusively. I do regular hand quilting and have also done 'big stitch' hand quilting. My 'big stitch' isn't so 'big', though, lol. I haven't gotten the hang of adjusting my needle movement larger.

I am interested in ruler quilting on a DSM though. I have a number of tops that I'm not either particularly invested in, or have so many seams (NYB) that hand quilting would be more than a challenge. I usually make all my sibs and the in-laws anniversary quilts; have a few graduation as well as baby quilts under my belt.

My interest in quilting was spurred by a friend who hand pieced and hand quilted. She didn't think she could manage using a machine to piece. She has since mastered that portion. I felt that machine piecing and hand quilting was the perfect (for me) marriage of machine sewing and hand work. It's been a joy for me.

And I do use a thimble - a 'thimblelady' open end thimble that has been the greatest thimble I've ever used.

Yes, but not much. I've been hand quilting the same wallhanging (41" square) for two years but am almost done. I work on it for a while, set it aside, get it back out, etc. I love the way it looks, though. I also use hand quilting for accents on various machine quilted items. I use a metal thimble and no hoop or anything. But I do prefer to save my wrists for hand applique.