I have used the "purple thing" to push it thru...on my new machine it has pin feed, which makes piecing awesome...so I really don't have to use any thing to push it now. The pin feed also makes it where I don't have to use the walking/even feed foot for straight quilting, either... I also make the squares 1/8" bigger, that way when I go to square up it works great. I use the June Tailor square up ruler, too. I really still don't love making hst, but doing it how I do it now makes them come out right, and that takes away a lot of the frustration!!..
Good luck,
Kif