Emily, be sure to check the type of needle you are quilting with. The very first time I tried to hand quilt my bottom stitches were horrible and I never tried again for years.
I can now say that I love hand quilting since I discovered that the stab method is not the right way to do it except in certain situations and that using the correct size needle is important also.
Make sure you don't have the quilt too tight in your frame. Leave it a little loose so that you can use your finger on the bottom side to raise and lower the fabric as you rock the needle to make your stitches. I use a size 9 or 10 Between needle for hand quilting.
Hope that helps and it made sense,
Linda D.