Free motion is not my forte. I love SITD, echo, cross-hatch, lines, angles, and I can do water/grass/cloud effects pretty good. I don't use a walking foot, and do it all with my regular, or my 1/4" foot. I use a lot of thin tape, and just go for it. I've tried and tried making loops, and swirls, and wavy do dads, but I just can't figure it out. I've decided, for now, I don't care, and how I quilt is good enough. I'm betting your quilt tops are not ruined. We are our own worst critics!