I have only been quilting a short time and wanted to FMQ my landscape quilt. I practiced on a 'sandwich' and then dived into the landscape. I found that a slow steady speed was best for me and I can slow down my machine. I also learned to use the "correct" size needle!. I kept breaking needles and they are too expensive to keep replacing, so I double-checked the size and changed to the correct size and had no further problems. I can't do feathers and circles yet but want to learn...Good luck.