dottiemae, first thing I want to say is when I hand quilt I don't wear a thimble, never have, and I have been hand quilting for almost 30 years now. Add the fact that I'm left handed ...... well that brings another set of difficulties ...... lol But the best tips I can give you is just take your time, practice, and don't worry about the rocking motion (I still have problems). The consistency of your stitches will get better the more you quilt. So just relax and enjoy your slow stitching.