I now Best Press my fabric before I even cut it. That helps keep it crisp and firm. I do use a 1/4" flange guide foot when I do my piecing. I have a Pfaff with the IDT and that keeps the fabric evenly fed through the machine. As crafterrn1 wrote: do NOT hold the fabric at the back of the machine. You might want to use a spider/leader/a small extra piece of material, 2 ply, when you start sewing.