First off, I need to say that I am a longarm quilter and have never quilted FMQ on my DSM, so I am only going on something I was told by someone else (like I can remember who :O)...if you turn your machine so you are quilting on it with what we normally consider the left side (needle side) facing towards you (like a longarm faces), it is easier to do FMQ. I would have to agree with those who stated that the thread was also a problem - I swear by Superior Threads and rarely use anything else. Try turning your machine 90 degrees and see if that helps you with keeping your hands and quilt moving more smoothly in every direction.