Use the folded piece of fabric like ArtsyOne said above. That works the best. You can also check you machine to see if you have the pressure on the foot at the highest. I find that if it is in the middle, it feeds better because cotton mostly is not a thick fabric. On mine #1 is for thin fabric like sheers, #2 is for cottons, thinner polys, etc. #3 is for denim, upholstery, thick polys, etc. Also, hold the ends of the thread from bobbin and top threads while stitching the first few stitches so that the machine will not pull the fabric in the hole. The fabric I am using now seems to like being eaten. Sometimes it is just the fabric and not what you are doing wrong. You just have to figure out how to outwit it.