Some tips on free motion quilting

First of all, let me say that if you wish to learn free motion quilting you will have to be prepared to spend time (dreaded "P" word coming up here) practicing. Yes, it's true. You will have to put considerable time in just doing it over and over, and putting all of that into your muscle memory bank. I taught myself, with the help of the Goddess of Free Motion Diane Gaudinsky (my description, not hers). I bought one of her books and pored over it for many years until I had the right sewing machine to use. You don't need a lot of fancy bells and whistles, but ideally you need to be able to drop your feed dogs, and to have some type of free motion presser foot for your machine. The one I favor is the open toe foot for my Bernina, the #24. I've tried a see-though plastic foot, but I felt that it limited my vision of the lines I was trying to follow. I also found that I didn't care for the stitch regulator on the Bernina, as it also impaired my vision. A good free motion foot will not clamp down onto your fabric like an ordinary foot, but will sort of hover above it. It's up to you to guide the fabric, and this type of foot will let you move your quilt freely as you sew.
I set the stitch length to zero. I've had workshop instructors tell me that this isn't necessary, but I feel that it can put a strain on your motor if you do not. I also use the needle down feature on my machine. It's good to have the needle down in the fabric every time you stop, as the presser foot will not hold your work in place.
There are many ways of marking your quilt top, none of them perfect for every application.I have used the wash away pens, freezer paper cut outs, and a new iron off pen (Ultimate Marking Pencil by Hancy). You need to experiment to find out what will work for you and your fabric.Always do a test, to make sure you can get rid of your marking lines once you have completed your quilting. And whatever you do, do not iron over the wash away pen marks (the turquoise ones by Mark-Be-Gone, Clover or others), because this will permanently set the marks, and can lead to some real heartbreak. It's usually best to mark the quilt before layering the batting and backing. With freezer paper cutouts, however you can do this afterwards.
Start by doing smaller samples, and build up your confidence on small projects like pillow tops, or wall hangings.
 In the words of the great jazz legend Miles Davis, "There are no mistakes."