I was told many years ago in Home Ec class to put the foot down with fabric under it to catch any oil that might drip down. The purpose of the needle down at that time was for safety. There were small children around in the homes most of the time. Now days I don't leave the pressure foot down unless I am transporting my machine. The reason for this is also a safety issue. My machine won't work if the foot isn't down. So with the foot up if one of my grandchildren happens to try playing with my machine it won't sew their fingers. Also the fabric under the needle on older machines was because it could do damage to the machine if sewing was done without fabric in it. I have been told the newer machines aren't like that.
Last edited by sew_itnow; 01-04-2013 at 06:30 PM.