Free Motion Quilting on a Brother LS 1217 - No presser foot?

I was flipping through my manual for my sewing machine because I want to try a small free motion quilting project (A table runner) and according to all the blogs I read, you need to buy a "Walking foot" or a "free motion" foot.  But according to my manual, you're just supposed to take the presser foot off and let fly with the needle. Has anyone ever done this before?  Am I reading this wrong?  If so, why can't I find a walking foot specifically for this machine?