I was told by my sewing machine repairman that on the Featherweights you only turn the wheel towards you. He said that you can really mess up the Featherweight turning it backwards. However, having said that, on occasion I have pushed the wheel away from me an inch or so and not had a problem. You know how you do when you are trying to get the sewing machine needle in just the right spot -- you move it back and forth a little.