Well after several more unsuccessful attempts, I decided to switch machines. My walking foot is a generic that I purchased years ago and I thought maybe it wasn't playing well with the Brother. So I put it on my New Home MX 3123 and just started sewing with the needle and thread that were on the machine- beautiful stitch! I did notice that when I switched threads to a more contrasting color (I started with white) the stitch didn't look as nice and I had to play with the tension a bit. Seemed strange to me as it was all Gutterman cotton. Anyway, when I changed thread, I realized that I had done something silly when I was using the Brother. I think the bobbins for the 2 machines are a bit different so I try to keep them separate. But I just grabbed already wound bobbins when I tried the walking foot on the Brother and it turned out they were not Brother bobbins. So I don't know if that was affecting the way it was stitching or not.
I think I will practice a bit more today and then attempt to quilt a table runner!
Carol