I am a self-taught quilter, and did OK with my machine quilting, but it wasn't until I took a class from Diane Gaudynski that I really learned what I should be doing, and I got so much more comfortable with FMQ after the class. Whether you take a class from a teacher in person, or on-line, I would encourage you to take a class somewhere. It does take a lot of practice though to get proficient at it.