I'm in Daytona, but if I were your next door neighbor, I wouldn't be much help. I know how to FMQ, but I'm not very good at it. My suggestion would be to make some placemats to practice on. If they don't turn out so good, you can still use them for you and family. A pretty floral backed by muslin with cotton batting in the middle would make a very nice placemat.
Good luck!