I use a walking foot purchased (on sale!) at Hancock's for free motion quilting. It attaches easily to my Singer. My feed dogs do not lower, but I can go anywhere and do anything pretty easily even on a large-size quilt. I think the key is to PRACTICE on smaller things to get the feel of it all, to know how fast or slowly you can or should move the fabric.
I bought some gloves that have a rubbery surface on the palm side that give me a good grip on the fabric.