Quilting is not easy but like anything it takes a little practice. Good luck with yours.

Another vote for the SITD foot. I don't need a walking foot with my 301, but I do need the SITD foot. Leah Day SsITD with an open toed darning foot, but I prefer the SITD foot after trying both ways.

sometimes i give up on straight stitching in the ditch and just do a small wavy line down the seam lines. works well and covers a multitude of mistakes. I just use my walking foot and guide the quilt to the left, then the right and so on as I sew.

I gave up on SID and now use a serpentine stitch instead, which is very forgiving. SID made me cross-eyed and tense!

It's just like trying to draw a straight line. I mean... that's hard! But your secret is safe with us. Besides, the wuilt police are currently busy trying to figure out how my sewing room got so messy... LOL!

If you have the option of doing a decorative stitch that swings back and forth over the line, it covers a lot of the crookedness that shows up in SID when you can stay in the ditch. Just an idea. I like the scallop design for this. I also use a zig-zag stitch as well as a "joining" stitch (#074 on my Elna and #18 on my Bernina Activia 135).

Yes, that's about all I like to do now is foot next to the ditch and go with it. At least it is straight.

I have a stitch in the ditch foot with the flange. I found it MUCH easier to SITD with a regular open toe foot. Actually, I have a Horizon with built in even feed to used the Accufeed open toe foot.

I call mine "meandering along the ditch" and yes, under the influence might have something to do with it in my case. lol
When you do yours, do you slightly pull the seam apart from both sides so you can get right into the ditch? That seems to help. Also, when the seam changes direction, do you use a few small stitches to guide the needle over to the new low side? That works well too. If in doubt, I use monofilament thread in the top and SID to my heart's content.

There is a magnifier with LED lights that you can hang around your neck. Not sure how it would work for machine work.

Remember, after the quilt is washed, most of these off SID lines will disappear in the slight pucker of the quilt. No worries.

I have an ott type light with a big magnifier only trouble is I have had it for several years and purchased at a garage sall for $2 it works wonderful it has a long extension arm and clamps on to your table or desk. I bought it from a scrapbooker so you might try searching scrap book stores