bearisgray I love your random thoughts and questions...real interesting ruminations.
zozee, yes, I get the fear factor too.
On the upside, when I discovered chain piecing (don't laugh) it was a wonderful moment. When self-taught one lucks out when they discover even simple techniques. Of course, I am self-taught no longer - just wonderfully instructed by the members of this board. Another benefit of 'sewing through fear' is discovering how to manipulate various stitches, and conquering the fear itself. It IS just thread and fabric...and I now frame things as more puzzles than problems.
I use mechanical old-style machines, and feel terrific that I'm learning to care for them.