I've had my Bernina FunLock since 1992 and it has done miles of petticoats and skirts for the play "Oklahoma" and hundreds of pairs of tights for the play "Camelot". That was just what the school got out of it! I've sewn clothes for me and my six kids and piecing quilts as well. I'm starting to baby it now because I want it to last until I can afford one of the new "no tension" ones!