My first LA item was a piece of muslin batting and ugly backing. It did get me used to the motion of the machine, but I really think that if you can practice on something that resembles a quilt, it helps. I had some ugly fabric, and just cut a bunch of 6.5" hst and made a pinwheel quilt. Practicing on actual quilt squares helped me a lot. You can also get cheater fabric or draw quilt blocks on muslin. Drawing also helps. I got a large whiteboard and put it right on the frame so when I practice a motif by drawing it, I can hold the marker and move my whole arm. The motion is very similar to using the long arm. Finally, see if there are any charity quilt groups in your area. They are always looking for folks to quilt tops. You get to practice and do something nice too!