Congratulations Mike on your first quilt. I think you did an outstanding job. Your friends will appreciate it so much more because you made it yourself. Stitching in the ditch is difficult for many seasoned quilters. In fact someone recently posted that it is easier for her to free motion quilt than to stitch in the ditch. It will all get easier with time, patience, and practice. I wish you well on your quilting journey. I look forward to seeing more projects from you. Welcome to the board.