My favorite advice is the glass of wine or bottle of beer and music! I think it reminds me that this is supposed to be FUN. Practice, and practice more. I agree that gloves are important - with the gloves you won't need to use so much pressure with your hands, that will keep your neck and shoulders a little more relaxed. If you start feeling tense, it is time to get up and walk around a bit! I have tried several types of gloves and have machingers - but actually what I really like to use are nitrile or surgical gloves. They are 'tacky' and I can really feel what is under my fingertips. I also have a small white board and will draw the pattern that I want to use, and trace it over and over until I have muscle and brain memory. I have also used my large square ruler with white board markers - lay the ruler on top of the pattern you want to use or on the quilt and trace what pattern fits and trace over and over, until it feels comfortable. Wipe off the marker right away, I have never harmed my ruler(test markers on a small part of yours first), but quilttiludrop's idea for a piece of plexiglass is great! I may have to check my garage for a left over piece of one of those for practice!