i love hand-quilting! i agree with the above posters - do a little bit of practicing first on something else til you get the hang of it. even size stitches are more important than tiny - you really can't get tiny until you've gotten enough practice. you get a rhythm going after about a half hour each time you pick it up, so if you just hang in there it gets easier. your underneath finger will get calloused. it also helps to have needles specifically for quilting because they are smaller (diameter) and shorter. i just rock 2-3 stitches on the needle then pull it through.
you'll get it with practice - don't worry about perfection, go for having fun and just persist.