That is what I do, too. I use masking tape. I have a roll of that colored 1/4" seam tape you can buy for quilting, so I just figured out where 1/4 " was on my machine, then I put two or three layers of it on the machine. This creates a little bit of a lip I can butt my fabric up against while I sew. It was the best thing I ever did for my quilting! Was trying to post a pic, but my computer doesn't like my camera today! Sorry