Sharon,
When I was first learning to FMQ, I stumbled onto some information that really helped me...
With my quilt sandwich under the foot of my machine,
I put the presser foot down and make sure the needle is in its highest position.
then I place a small straight pin on top of the quilt sandwich underneath the presser foot.
Next I adjust the pressure on the presser foot so that I can easily slide the pin around, but not have a big gap.
When the pressure is right, the quilt will side easily when the needle is up and will hold between the foot and the throat plate when the needle is down as the stitch completes. Having this adjusted right will help smooth out the motion of the quilt as you move it around and will prevent bending/breaking needles.
If you are not able to adjust your foot to allow the quilt to move freely when the needle is up and the foot is down, it might not be quite the right fit on your machine.