I learned on a 9" domestic machine on the frame but everything I learned, transferred over to my Voyager 17 SLR which I had to re-time before I could even use it--bought it used off ebay from someone that gave up.
First off, I think you discouraged yourself by trying to do feathers. Feathers are hard and even pros spend hours & hours & hours perfecting their feathers. You can tell who the quilter is from the style of their feathers.
Get really good at the meanders and loopies before stressing yourself out with feathers. Write names in cursive when you get tired of loopies. Puffy clouds was another way I practiced. I also used to draw my design--cats, hearts & stars were my favorite, with washable marker and quilt over that.
Sit down quilting at the machine is nothing like frame quilting. It takes totally different skills & muscles. My shoulders & wrists just cannot take the pressure of sit down quilting so a frame was the only way for me.
Also, is your frame level? Moving the big, heavy Voyager is difficult enough without trying to quilt uphill or keeping it from rolling down hill. My frame is on carpet on an uneven basement floor so leveling the frame is a constant battle for me and being level is even more critical with the 75 pound Voyager than it was with my 28 pound Elna.
Are you a member of the Hinterberg yahoo group? They are the absolute best about helping with Voyagers.
Pantographs were not for me. I prefer to draw/trace/copy my designs onto very thin paper and tape them to the quilt, then sew on the paper. Some people swear by press 'n' seal for this method but the bits of plastic left behind drove me nuts.
Lastly, I have no intention of entering my quilts in a show or quilting for others so my standards may be lower than others and the stitching while on the frame is much more noticeable than it is off the frame.