Sidetracked? That is part of the key to machine qpplique in my book! You want to make sure your applique is centered in your foot . Keep your eye on the fabric alignment and then you won't get sidetracked by the needle doing what it does. It knows "how" to go and we just tell it "where"! You need to figure which side gives you the best tracking.Using a stilleto to feed your applique toward the needle can give you a better sight line. It can be awkward , at best, doing many twists and turns with fingers in the way. Also remembering to stop and pivot with machine work is important too. I think it is why I prefer to do hand qpplique...that and it is relaxing , I think. You can use bamboo skewers for a stilletto as long as they have a sharp point. Orange sticks work also.