It depends on your machine. I need the walking foot to SITD with my Elna, but not my Singer 301. With the 301, I just released the pressure on the presser foot a little and used my SITD foot. That little thing is a big help. I do start in the center. I only did SITD on my D9P, but I just did another pattern and mixed SITD and FMQ, which I like.