I just tried FMQ for the first time yesterday and I saw it was easier to follow a line if a sewed toward me instead of away from me. So, if I understood you correctly, I just picked that up yesterday....just seemed easier to me.
I tried quilting with my machine sideways, let me tell you, I thought I was sitting backwards the whole time. It was kinda hard to get used to. I put my machine all the way to the right of the table, closest to the outlet, so I use use the machine sideways and still reach the foot pedal.
DH comes home from work and has a laugh seeing me in the corner of the table and the little bit I was working on spread over the table. He says "how can you quilt like that?"
I went outside to take a break, I come back in and my machine had magically moved to the middle of the table, still sideways. I told hubby, I can't reach the foot pedal when it's like that. He says, yes you can, I split the table and instead of putting a leaf in, I just put your cord in.
It took me hours to figure out how to use my machine sideways and still reach the foot pedal. Took him less than 5 minutes to figure out a solution....usually, it's me that's the last to figure out anything!