I had that problem at first. Make sure your first stitch is straight up and down, then tilt up for second stitch. going down again, make sure you come thru before tilting up again. I use a stick on pad on my finger underneath, so I can feel if I am coming thru without pricking my finger. only do two or three stitches till you get comfortable with it. I love to hand quilt, and my hand quilting is NOT perfect. But the ones who receive them see no fault in them. We are hard on ourselves, others are just happy with the outcome. So relax, and enjoy the process. And smile when you feel you are messing up, it will lift your mood enough to get past the little slips. They add character to our hand work. :lol: