Doodle designs on paper with a pencil/pen - builds muscle memory. I draw a quilt block and then play! Also, get a piece of quilters plastic - flexible, kinda thick, JoAnn's or a quilt shop should have it - I have an 18" square and an 18" x 24" piece as well - put blue painters tape all around the edges (keeps you from drawing off your plastic and on your quilt with markers) and get some dry erase markers. Put the plastic over your quilt block and play with designs - wipes off easily with a scrap of batting. I go through a few of these a year as after a while the black doesn't come off all the way.
Put a muslin sandwich on your frame, draw 10" squares, leaving little "gates" between to go through and practice with a meander, filling one square and moving to another (teaches you how to plan your ins and outs of blocks). Draw flowers, hearts, leaves, etc. on the muslin with a marker and then go over them with your machine, connecting them with quilting loops. Try drawing a square, quilt the square and then echo around the frame, keeping an equal distance from all quilting lines all the way to the center of the square. Write the alphabet with your machine.
The more you practice, the easier it becomes. Don't be afraid of your LA - they really aren't that delicate and your won't break it if you use it! The lighter touch you have on the handles, the easier it is to control (at least for my machine) - when you have a death-grip on the handles, it seems harder to control the head of the machine. Put some music on and quilt to the beat - dance with your machine!!! It's a lovely partner AND you get to lead!!!