Most of my quilts are lap size that I quilt by machine. I use a walking foot for most of the quilt but use free motion on the border.
Borders are easy to handle and dont need to be shoved thru the machine.
This way I get lots of practice with free motion. My favorite stencil is leaves that are continuous line. It is a fun pattern and sure helps me practice the free motion.
Larger quilts I send out to the long armer. I did one twin size myself and it was not fun at all.