it would also depend on who it is for. Making a quilt for a little quilt. it was going to be just a simple bunch of squares that was made into a giant duvet cover. used between 2 and 3. in less than a year she has torn it up. I am thinking of making one for her that is more of a quilt and less likely to get messed up. I hope that her mom likes it. I now use closer to the 1 on my machine and find that those stitches are really good for me. They don't pull at all. I am new also. I will have been quilting almost a year now.