That's a great idea.

My suggestion??? I sip on a glass of wine to relax! Josh Groban or Michael Buble singing in the background helps, too.

Still, I can identify with the frustration that luv2quilt is experiencing, since free motion does not come easy for me, either. As Elizajo points out, getting that fabric flush w/ the table, and thus eliminating the drag, makes a big difference. In fact, I'm looking into buying a new sewing cabinet that has the cut out area to recess my machine. My sister(who has been my quilting mentor) struggled for years to master free motion quilting and as soon as she got her new table and the Bernina w/ stitch regulator she has taken to free motion like a duck in water. She prefers her Pfaff for sewing & piecing, because of the built in walking foot, but keeps her Bernina set up strictly for quilting. As soon as I sell my HQ-Sixteen long arm machine, I plan to use the money to buy a Bernina 440 QE and a horn sewing cabinet. I can't wait! Nita

I do not have the sewing cabinet but would love it maybe someday but I do have the Bernins 440 with the stitch regulator and can really understand why they say nothing sews like a Bernina it also has the best decorative stitches of any machine I have ever used good luck on getting one

I tried to practice free motion meandering last night... disaster. Well, it's only my second time but still...
The first time I did it on a placemat sized project and it didn't look terrible, only because I used monofilament on the top.
This time it was a practice sandwich and I used black thread on white fabric so that I could really see what I was doing and try to get it right. But it didn't turn out so good.

Soon I may be able to mount my machine flush in a cabinet. That might help. I think I could use a better darning foot too. Still, I know it's mainly practice and patients. Maybe I'll stick to straight line and ditch quilting for a while.

I'm getting better at free-motion. But like everyone says, practice, practice & practice. I find I do better on smaller sized pieces than large sizes. Just do smaller ones until you get better. It's harder for me to manuver the larger sized quilts.

That sounds like a great idea, can hardly wait to try it.

See if you can reduce the pressure on the presser foot (how hard it pushes downward on the quilt top.)

Don't get discouraged and give up. The first quilt I free motioned on was a queen in my home machine. It had been sitting for a year and a half all sandwiched and basted because I was afraid to try it. A friend (the only one I knew who quilted) told me to just kinda mush up the quilt in my machine instead of trying to roll it up and it's been so much easier for me than trying to stuff that stiff roll through the throat of my machine. I did end up "unsewing" a few areas of my quilting that I didn't think I could live with, but the more I did it, the better it got and for a first try, I'm happy with it. It's now covering my bed. Just keep going...you'll find what works for you and get the hang of it! (...then you'll be addicted!) LOL