While practicing, why not use a water soluable pen (the ones from JoAnn work as well as the ones from a quilt shop)and draw your design on the fabric, then practice your quilting with the design on the fabric for you to see. That way you can learn to control the speed and motion with your hands, then when you master that, go to the free-hand design. BTW, it is much easier when you have on the quilters gloves with the rubbery dots on the fingers. Oh, yes, the next most important part is to have the quilt on a level surface with your machine. If it is hanging off the table the weight will distort the stitching.