I have found that when hand quilting that the fabric should not be really taut in the hoop. That is what I was doing when I started hand quilting and it was really difficult to make stitches. Since then I have learned that it should be a little loose. When I put the "quilt sandwich" in the hoop I first get it sort of taut and then loosen it a bit after I tighten the screw a little bit by pushing down gently so there is a bit of a sag. This makes it so much eaiser to rock the needle. At the Houston Quilt Show some years ago I witnessed an oriental lady demonstrating how she quilted and was amazed how "saggy" her fabric was. And she was able to make really small stitches. She was marvelous.