A couple ideas... If you find that you like long-arming after your class, but don't want to spend a lot of time loading the quilt, some shops around here let you buy an extra set of leaders. You can then pin your quilt at home and then attach the leader to the frame with velcro in a short amount of time. Also, you can practice at home with a dry erase board. You can practice meanders, swirls, feathers, etc. on the dry erase board. The trick is to use your arm to move your marker, not your wrist because that's what you do with the long-arm machine. It helps build your muscle memory in your arm for when you actually do use the machine. Good luck!