It sucks because I know where that feeling comes from and while I dont want to project on my new friends, its not like its coming from nowhere, ya know? Ive been there so many times before and thought someone felt the same way as me and then got burnt :/
On the brightside, I do manage to keep it to myself/the internet now so im not constantly selfpitying to people who have done nothing but be kind to me
About 1/8" of an inch between stitches is a good sweet spot but it doesn't have to be super precise, and to make sure youre pulling tight enough when spacing stitches out more you can just lightly pull on the pieces youre sewing together and see if they seperate (this video has some examples around 14:50 https://youtu.be/cVuMERH0Nic)
I hope you keep posting your progress! I love seeing your work 
Omg I'm so glad youre still enjoying it and thank you for tagging me 
Your stitches look good! I wouldnt worry about going too shallow for stitching, I aim for catching 2 threads on each edge of fabric and as long as you pull tight enough and do enough stitches per inch you dont have to worry about gaps.
You could also probably get away with doing less stitches per inch without risking it being weaker
Had an awful start to the day but saw my friend and they turned it into a good day filled with laughter and unfunny jokes