I have quilted on my Bernina 1020 and 1530 for almost 25 years. I never had a problem because I had great support for the quilt behind the machine and to my left. Start planing your quilting working from the center out unrolling the right side of the quilt as you go. You just have to find out what works best for you. I was very lucky to have won the awards I did with my quilts that I had a 6" throat.