I have quilted up to queen size quilts on the machine. The bigger the quilt, the more you have to pay attention to how you FMQ your pattern. Many times you will have to Stitch in the Ditch the overall quilt sandwich first in order to get the quilt stabilized enough for you to work on the more intricate parts of the quilt.
There are a bunch of different ways to handle the small throat.
- You can do a "Quilt as you go" process.
- You can leave the back and top in one piece, but cut up the batting into strips, then quilt one strip down at a time - adding strips from the center. This reduces the amount of material under the throat.
- You can spray baste then Stitch in the ditch the quilt into sections and quilt each section individually.
I do the 3rd process as I like the look of an overall FMQ (compared to a FMQ which is in sections).
Best way to do it - start with a small project (like a panel with borders). Copy the design on the panel with your FMQ. Once you get the feel for how to work with the machine, try tracing pens or pounce pads on a lap quilt. Then when you feel more confident, graduate to the more intricate work.
It can be done. It is fun, and does not require investing in an expensive machine.