Machine eats my fabric
 

I have a Husqvarna Sapphire 870 which I am very happy with except it eats the fabric at the beginning of the seam. I was wondering if I bought a straight stitch needle plate (the one with one small hole) would that help the problem?

That does help but it you start with a leader fabric, and start in the middle of the piece it will take care of it too. Also, avoids any nests underneath with a leader piece.

I use the leaders and enders method. I just know if I put my single hole plate in, I'd forget and zig zag over it or something and throw my machine out of whack.

Change your needle, use a good quality one and it might work better. I have the exact same problem with my machines and it's usually because I have an dull needle. I tend to be a member of the "oh, needles need to be changed? I just sew until they break" club. And I would buy the cheapy needles whenever I'd come across them. I once found a store that had 4 packs of 5 needles for $1.00. Just a few years ago, I found out why they were so cheap. Oh well lessons learned. Leaders and enders are a great way to assist with the problem also.

A straight stitch plate will help, but as an earlier poster said, it's risky if you do any other kind of stitch. Leaders/enders work, starching works also.

I just finished piecing a top that had lots of pointy tips so I used my single hole stitch plate, but normally I also worry that I'll switch to zig zag or some other stitch and forget, then break a needle. Typically I rely on leaders and enders, and I'm always trying to get better about changing the needle.

It is a good idea to use leaders or pigs as we call them. I saw Jennie Rayment starting stitching a straight row and she began about an inch in went backwards to edge then straight . I thought it was a good idea as I forget beginners and Enders.it ma also stop nest if you pull the bottom thread up as in quilting.

Just remembered something I read here. Someone said if they use their straight stitch plate they put a little sticky note on their stitch changer knob (or whatever their machine uses). That way they remember. My luck the sticky note would fall off. Maybe it was masking tape.

Leaders and Enders. I always use one.

All of the above and this too. I keep packing paper close by and tear a bit off to use as a leader. My quarter inch foot has a small opening for the needle that helps stabilize the fabric underneath. Keepsake Quilting packs the boxes with the packing paper. Being frugal, I reuse it whenever possible, have found that it makes great pp foundations, it tears away nicely.