I am with you. IF you can't draw swirls and patterns with a pencil on paper how can you draw with a machine, But, one thing I had my husband put a screw on the foot pedal where I could not press it and go any faster then the speed I thought was right. I could not keep my foot on the pedal consistantly either. So I can do small things but skip feathers, curly cues, and stars. Meandering is at best what I can do and sometimes that is not a consistant stitch.