i keep a 12" square mirror tile on my quilting table- it is thin enough that the carriage travels right over it without hitting it- and i can start- stop & check- so a large area underneith & know if all is well- everytime i change my bobbin or thread, or stop for a bit as soon as i go a couple inches i stop & take a peak to make sure all is well before i have a large area of a problem...it really saves alot of time to take the moment to check. good luck with your next trial-
and great song!