warm & natural is definitely not a great choice for hand quilting- even without all the seams it is difficult to stitch through- I also prefer a longer needle when hand quilting and generally choose a 'sharp' in the size appropriate for the thread I am using. hobbs 80/20 is a nice batting for hand quilting. if you are a long way into your project you may want to keep struggling along but if you have not gone too far it may be a good choice to switch the batting. avoid battings with 'scrim' for hand quilting projects. better to start over than put it aside & never finish it. it is beautiful.