Diane, it may be a combination of issues. Practice does make perfect and usually the first 2 or 3 stitches will get less of a bite so don't expect all your stitches to be exact. Are you using a quilting needle? Needles make a huge difference in hand quilting. I use a 10. Also as to the hoop, you can give it a try again and this time don't put your fabric tight. I will hoop a piece and then press down on the quilt so the fabric is more like a hammock. If you don't understand, I'll hoop a piece and post a picture. Don't give up, it's very rewarding to hand quilt. Also a tip for working on large pieces, if you don't have a quilt rack, use your hoop and lay the quilt over a card table. Let the table support the weight of the quilt. Makes it easier to get up for a break, or answer the door etc.