One of the tips they gave us at our quilt guild: Measure 1/4" to the right of the needle all the way down to the edge of your machine. Mark with a marker. Then place a few layers of the blue painters masking tape down the line that you marked. This allows the fabric to be guided into the needle area without any problem. Also, you can buy a package of about 25 bamboo skewers in a package at Wal-Mart for roughly $1.25. These make great stilettos and you have a large supply. LOL