3Ps: Prepare your space and machine, Practice every day, Persevere. Actually I teach FMQ and here are my favorite hints: go slowly to get the hang of moving your fabric. Getting your motion, needle speed and stitch length together is like learning to drive a stright drive transmission: you are looking for your sweet spot. As for your thread tension, if your bobbin thread is peaking up, your top thread tension is too tight. I always start with the tension loose and tighten up incrementally while I warm up. You will need to tweak your tension every time you sit down to sew as temperature and humidity changes can affect your thread. But don't fret too much about the tension, when you wet and block you quilt, the amount it draws up will hide a lot of tension problems! Don't give up!