My number of stitches varies with the weave of the fabric and the kind of batting. The thinner and looser woven the fabric and the lighter and softer the batting the smaller the stitch. Our county did a quilt documentation project about twenty years ago. We had experts from the DAR musuem in Washington, D.C. evaluate the quilts we were documenting. They counted the stitches on the top and the bottom. When you do that it is amazing how many you get to the inch. Practice is the only way to get better and then you get older and your hands don't work as well. After more than 40 years my biggest goal is to be consistant. The best way to train yourself is with a wholecloth item. Seams and multiple layers, as in applique, make it harder to stitch evenly and small.