I too use safety pins and then stitch in the ditch holding both sides of fabric as I stitch a little slower than usually with the walking foot. Before I got the walking foot I spent about as much ripping out stitching as I did sewing. I haven't had much success with free motion quilting-maybe not enough practice.
Love the walking foot with my Bernina 440 QE. Also purchased a generic one for my Singer 15-works well with it also. It is much easier for me than FMQ.