I would 'imagine' that *spring loaded* quilting may be -- walking foot--- good for straight lines- floating for actual free motion- where you do curves- designs. as for your thread breaking---what kind of thread are you using? are you using the correct type/size needle for the weight of the thread being used? if you are not sure- visit the Superior Threads website- they have free charts you can download that show what size needle to use with which thread. I have found over the years cotton thread breaks much easier than polyester when quilting- but the *right* cotton thread- used with the correct needle- and tension settings shouldn't be breaking a lot. as for the quilting in sections question- people do this all the time- there are quilt as you go methods and methods for creating your quilt in 3-5 sections, quilting them, then putting it all together- check the tutorials section of the board and u-tube videos on quilt as you go (qayg)