I use a walking foot for most of my quilting. Once I figured out how to put it on my machine, I didn't have to worry about tension or stitch length at all. Using the curvy lines that Prism99 recommends above is the easiest for your first quilting, IMHO. For me the most difficult part about quilting on a standard home machine is managing the bulk of your quilt as you stitch. It takes frequent stops to "fluff and stuff" the quilt so that you can move ahead with stitching without creating any drag on the quilt. This is the part that takes some practice, and I find that working on a small piece before hand doesn't prepare you for this part of machine quilting. I got the most help by watching several different youtube videos online.
I haven't ever used fusible batting, but I baste with needle and thread using a herringbone stitch and for good measure, secure with some safety pins, too! I'm not one for lots of gadgets, but I find that the quilting gloves are essential for me. I have a little arthritis in my hands and have trouble holding onto the quilt without them. Good luck!