I had similar problems when I returned to quilting. Sometimes my sewing sessions caused me to end up in tears! First thing I did was to buy a 1/4" foot.
Second thing was to use very small dots of glue on the really stubborn areas of the block (press the glued area and it will hold while you are sewing...glue comes out in the wash).
Third thing was to keep on keeping on.
Fourth was to step away for a while if the day is not going well and return refreshed.