Quilting gloves really make a difference...and as others have said, practice on sandwiches. The hardest part for me was trying to relax, and that makes a world of difference too.
I know you'll have fun :D Enjoy :D

What is a darting attachment? That is something I have never heard about. Maybe that (and the wine idea) is what I have been doing wrong.

You have gotten a lot of good suggestions. Since the biggest key seems to be PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PATIENCE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, I thought I would share my experiences.
1. you definitely need those quilter's gloves. They really reduce the stress on the body and helps move the fabric.
2. I use basting spray, even on queensize quilts. I actually think it works better than pinning and those little tack guns. If you have a big design wall, it would be easier to spray baste. First get the back smooth, then spray, then put on the batting starting at the top and working your way out and down, then do the same with your top.
3. Start in the center and quilt it in quarters like you would handquilt.
4. Always pull your thread from the bottom when you start.
5. Have a lot of bobbins ready.
6. Coats and Clarks machine quilting thread is probably the least expensive but it does leave a lot of lint in your machine and you should clean your machine before and after your quilting.
7. Do a few wall hangings and lap quilts first. Depending on your machine, you may have to work with your tension, etc. to get your stitches right.
8. Use a print backing that won't show your mistakes as easily.
9. Don't worry about what it looks like. Just do it. Your next one will be better with.......practice.
10. This probably should have been number 1. Don't use polyester batting. It doesn't lay flat. For FMQ it is better to use cotton batting or cotton batting with a little bit of polyester. It is just way too hard to FMQ on polyester, especially when you are a beginner.

I can't wait to see your first one.

I'm pretty sure that the "darting" foot should have been "darning " foot. I have never heard of a darting foot - but a darning foot and lowered fed dogs are keys to FMQ. Practice , practice, practice - oh and btw a little wine couldn't hurt!

Texaspam's post covered it very thoroughly, but I would strongly encourage the quilters gloves. They give you so much more control. And, as everyone else says, practice, practice, practice! Once you actually get going, you'll wonder why it was so intimidating.

do all the things everyone has suggested here and you will be fine. Remember only you will know what you really intended the design to look like. RELAX AND HAVE FUN WITH IT

I'm surprised to hear that polyester batting causes a problem. I don't have any issues with it. I use either cotton or polyester to do FMQ and while I am not an expert, the batting has never been a problem.

And that's why we love FMQing so much~ :lol:

I recently took a class at our guild on quilting/FMQing. In preparation for the class we had to make 12 13" quilt sandwiches out of muslin, then draw a 1" grid on each one with a washable pen....not the air-disappearing one. A couple of the grids were 60 degree diamonds which can be done with any ruler that has that angle on it. These were our practice pieces and they are now wonderful reference pieces.

The concept is that you think in squares and with only a little practice you can go freely from one square to the next. Whatever design you create......squiggles, flowers, leaves, vines, arcs, stippling.....just keep going from one square to the next in whatever space you want to quilt in. Starting with small squares makes it easy to see & create designs, and they can then be easily enlarged to fit larger spaces.

Other than that....practice, PATIENCE, deep breaths, RELAX THE HANDS AND SHOULDERS, sharp needle, gloves (I like the white Machingers because they're lightweight), and more patience.....just do it!

Also....if your machine has an "auto-pilot" feature where you unplug your foot pedal and push a start/stop button to stitch.....try using this feature on a practice piece. I find when I use it my stitches are MUCH more even, I relax my hands more and the overall look is more professional....the photo below shows my first meandering using the auto-pilot.

Good luck and have fun with it!! Karen

Thank to everyone for the great suggestions....now I know what has been wrong with my FMQ! I need to go buy a BIG bottle of wine!