The lady who mentioned feed dogs just take a look. I purchased an old machine which was tested and serviced before it came. The food dogs did have fabric in looked like black felt. A friend after paying for a service couldn't get her machine to work. I went to help and found the feed dogs and bobbin area clogged so much nothing moved which was why it went for a service. My hands I tend to keep to the sides of the needle and hold lightly.

I think lalaland's advice on practicing without thread on paper is great! Let me add that I have found that one sheet of paper under the feed dogs is a little hard to control due to it being so slippery. When I put a layer or two of fabric down and then lay the paper on top of the fabric the sewing experience is more like sewing fabric. Also, I tend to sew very slowly when doing patchwork which gives me accurate results.

Yes--very, very helpful! Thank you so much!

Very valuable advice. I like what you said about focusing less on my hands. When I was learning to drove as a teen, I would drive looking at the road directly ahead of the car, and my father had to teach me to look further out. :)

I feel so blessed that so many of you thought about this for me and wrote in. I am really enjoying the process of learning about all of this. Thank you!

I always had a heck of a time keeping my seams straight. Finally someone took pity on me and told me my trouble was caused because I watched the needle instead of the fabric. Once I started to pay attention to where my fabric was going under the front of the presser foot instead of at the needle my seams straightened right up. Once you get the hang of sewing you'll be able to make a quilt on any working machine - no matter how old it is.

I like to have people think back to 3rd grade when they were learning cursive writing. Whoa what a ride that was! But by the end of the school year there was much improvement. Practice and c'mon back and ask questions.

piney

I use 1/4 inch graph paper - and use that to see where the lines are compared to the edge of the presser foot and where the needle hits the paper -

That sentence didn't make much sense - but it does work for me!

lalaland said:
Your fingers should never be directly in front of the presser foot or to the left or right of the presser foot (I say this because you can line your fabric up to the left side OR right side of the presser foot, although most people line up to the right side).
I think this is confusing. This sounds kind of like the fabric is to the right of the needle. I think most people sew with the fabric to the left of the needle, and line up on the right side of the needle.
When I put together many rows of squares (pieced or plain), I put the first two rows under the needle with the fabric to the right. The seams are pressed so that the top seam points away from me, and the bottom seam is lying toward me. That way the bottom seam will never flip the wrong way when they nest. I can watch the top seam and make sure it goes under the presser foot without flipping. I put all the rows together like that, two at a time, with the fabric to the right.
Then I put together twos with twos and keep the fabric to the left of the needle. You just keep on adding this way: fours and fours, eights and eights etc. and it will always be to the left. The seam will always go under the needle correctly: the top seam toward you so you can watch it, and the bottom seam facing toward you so it glides under the needle without flipping.

Yes just google your make and model and up comes links for your machine instructions, and E-How will also come up with instructions free.