Originally Posted by SherylM

I have 14 vintage machines and four of them are left-homing. I make a lot of scrappy quilts, so I use them when I piece quilts that don't absolutely need a 1/4" seam allowance, like simple patchwork and blocks. I butt my magnetic seam gauge up against the edge of the presser foot and go! All four machines do beautiful straight stitches, but three of them also do a zig-zag. That's all I really need or want a machine to do. I find that I really like the wider (3/8") seam allowance; I use a small stitch length and press my seams open. They have become my favorite piecing machines.

Give that Dressmaker a try - you may find that you really enjoy that machine!