Well, I decided my name and names of friends are already in my mind so I practised FMQ by sewing names. Then I could set the machine tension & all the other stuff correctly prior to trying loops, circles & stars. 6 months of practice made such a difference. I just kept practice sandwiches on the machine about 12" square. When filled with stitching I added a muslin to top & bottom and stitched till it got too thick. I use different color threads on top & bottom so I could see which thread caused the issues. I haven't FMQ since before Christmas so now I would practice again before working on an actual item. Hope this helps someone.