For me the biggest "must have" is a stretch needle-makes all the difference, no skipped stitches or loopies. The thread lies better in the longer scarf on the needle (learned this years ago from someone who learned it from a sewing machine tech)

You will need a free motion foot. I would also recommend a 90/14 top stich needles like Schmetz and some Machinger quilting gloves to help you hold onto your fabric. As for the quilt sandwich either pin or spray baste.

I do a much quilting with my walking foot as my darning/fmq foot. This book is excellent to lean more then stitch in the ditch with the walking foot. [h=1]One Line at a Time: 24 Geometric Machine-Quilting Designs Made Easy by Charlotte Warr Anderson[/h]

She'll answer your questions in the course.

I have found that I can skip the gloves if I put 1-2 drops of glycerin on my hands. It just so happened that my husband has a bottle of it, so it was free to me, but it's only a few dollars at Walgreens and a little goes a LOooooooong way! I used to use (2/$.89) rubber-y mechanic gloves with the thumb and 1st finger cut out and I tried the quilting gloves and wasn't impressed. I can't go back to gloves now!

I also built a little table (well my husband and son did lol) http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...e-t189553.html that cost $5-6 and was easy to make. I covered it with contact paper, and it's slick enough that I don't think I need anything else on it.

The most important tool is Practice!!! Just keep practicing and you'll hit that "a-ha" moment! I was like a little kid "I did it! I did it!" when I was able to go and go without breaking a needle or thread!!!

Thank you for the inspiration to give it a try. I do have a dial to put it in 'darning' mode that seems to reduce the pressure down to nothing.
To be honest, I'm so cheap, ordering a new darning foot was not something I wanted to do, especially because it seemed to last only 5 months

I believe the only "must have" will be a darning/fmq foot. Everything else is nice based on personal preference. I do not like gloves; I put KwikSort (bought at Staples) on my hands when I remember to use it. You can fmq with bare hands if your hands and arms are very strong. When I don't use KwikSort my forearms get tired and sore very fast.

Level quilting space around the needle area is most helpful. Even a small quilt gets heavy and the weight of the quilt will fight you and the needle if the quilt drags or catches on anything. There are a lot of imaginative ways to level your quilting space, and some are very cheap or free.

You didn't say what machine you have and that could make a difference for what you need. I've only fmq'd on Pfaff machines. My QE has a half way stop on the presser foot to keep the foot floating above the sandwich, with only minimal pressure when the needle goes down.

The ABSOLUTE must have is patience. You will not excell at fmq the first (few) times you try it, but it does get easier and better the more you try. After a fair amount of experience I found that I got cocky and thought I had it down. That's when I did the worst fmq I've ever done. The key is to start small and keep practicing.

I'm taking that class and love it. I'm taking her other one as well, I think it's Beyond FMQ or something like that. Great courses! I've been quilting for many years, but she has come up with some tips that more than paid for the class. She does a lot of stitch in the ditch which uses an even feed foot. When she does the FMQ, she uses an open toe FMQ type foot. Both are definitely worth the investment if you don't have them.
Gloves, I can't use them. They drive me nuts. What she uses in the course is either two sponges or two pieces of that rubberized drawer liner stuff. I haven't had the time to finish either class, but have been using her tips on quilts I'm trying to get done. One thing I don't like about the classes are there is a lot of time filming her doing her SITD and that is kind of like watching paint dry, but overall great classes.

I have the best luck with feed dogs up and an open toe foot with very short legs.

What is the quadrant method?

hahahaha that is so funny you are right to relaxe you need the wine. I get very tense.
Deb