I learned by just doing SID and straight line designs first. When I started FMQ, I found the most frustrating part was getting the sewing machine to act well. Out of 10 machines I had at the time, only 1, an old mechanical Bernina 931 was the only one that would ALWAYS act nice, even if my work & stitches were poorly shaped.... Once I figured that out, practicing became fun because I wasn't always fighting the machine. So if you have different machines you might want to try them all out to find out which one feels the best for FMQ.