On the designer 1, you have to select the "V" stitch menu and the straight stitch in there before you free motion quilt. However, I believe your problem is that you need to slow down the speed of the machine and the speed of your movement of the fabric. We tend to try and keep up with the sound of the machine and high speed sounds fast. Also, practice, practice, practice. No one starts to FMQ like an expert. It takes time.