My student was ready to try some FMQ so she could practise a LOT before moving on to her own quilt. She caught on really quickly. This is what we did.
She had some quilt sandwiches made up.
First, I had her practise moving the quilt around without having the machine on. This allowed us to get smooth movement happening, and allowed for adjusting the darning foot up a bit to reduce drag.
Then, I sat directly opposite her with the machine in between us. As she hit the gas, I had my hands on top of hers and moved them along. This gave her the idea of sliding the quilt instead of tugging it.
I was surprised how fast she got it! It was like learning to dance
Has anyone else tried other techniques other than the trial/error/swear/toss it method?