my own freemotion results are ... shall we say ... interesting. :lol:
first big problem is tension. not just thread. me. i get too tense and tight. i press down on the quilt with my hands. things go better when i'm resting them lightly on the quilt - just enough pressure to move it around. a lot of people have said here that quilters' gloves help because they "grip" the fabric so you don't need to apply much pressure at all. my guess is that the inexpensive gardenders' gloves with the textured palms would work as well.
then there are all those teeniny lumps and bumps on the machine bed. around the throat plate; the screw well; etc. i haven't purchased one of those silicon mats yet. in the meantime, i cut a piece from a manila folder and taped it and a layers of freezer paper, shine side down, to the machine bed to smooth it out a bit. not a complete cure, but it makes a difference.
so i guess it boils down to: (1) drop the feed dogs if you can; (2) use the correct foot - darning/embroidery/freemotion; (3) get your surface as smooth as possible; and (4) RELAX.
1 through 3 are easy. #4 is kickin' my butt. :lol: :lol: