Concentrate on getting the stitiches uniform. Don't worry about how small they are, If they are all the same size it will end up looking good,and as you get more experience with it your stitiches will become smaller. Enjoy

i knoiw when my friend first started hand quilting, she used "tiger tape" to help keep her stitches even..she liked it..

I forget about the Tiger Tape. My first projects were done with this. It's a great help in getting the spacing down. Start with the larger tape spacing and work your way down to the smaller size. It helps in getting the rhythm going. :-D

Good luck!!!

It doesn't matter if your stiches are close together, but better that they are evenly spaced. Practice by making a quilt sandwich using some gingham. This will help it to go better. I have also heard that polyester batting is easier to hand quilt.

good idea with the gingham.