I started out as a hand quilter until I got arthritis in my hands. I quilted a couple of quilts with my walking foot with mostly straight lines and I was not happy. I took classes on a long arm quilter in Orlando and I realized that you have to know how to draw your design before you can make your machine do what you want. The best advice I learned was to buy a sheet of glass (part of an old coffee table top), tape the edges with blue painter's tape, use a dry erase marker and keep drawing and erasing until you know how to draw the pattern. I then bought 5 yards of muslin, made a sandwich and I practiced making designs on my sewing machine. Draw some lines to begin with if this will help you but practice, practice, practice is what makes FMQ enjoyable.