I used the Mega quilter frame for several years and found the same thing. You can mark the design - I like the blue water soluble marker, but then you have to be able to wash it out after the quilt is finished. I've also stitched over Golden Threads paper with some success. The best luck with any method is if you break your design into two sections, and have the stitching lines from each half join each other at an intersection of some sort, not in a running line of stitching. That way, the place you connected to is not so obvious, and the transition to the second half looks much better. It will work out fine - it just requires a bit more planning than if you had a whole 12" work area.