I used to wear a thimble on the underneath hand. One that was kind of smooth on the top and then when the needle toudhed it and I rocked and pushed back up, the needle would slide up that thimble and out the quilt. Once you get that first stitch and the needle about 1/8 inch through the fabric top, send it back again...do that until you have three or four stitches on the needle before pulling the thread out.