I have a brother Innovis 4000D given to me by my husband 4 years ago for christmas ($4000) never dreamed to have this spacship machine. I was using a 1960's Singer straight stich and reverse only. Typically I worked project to project often putting my machine away for months in between. Given the cost of the machine I was determined to learn everything this machine could do so consiquently I began dreaming up ideas without a home, from baby clothes, embroidery of towels, quilt making, clothes, table scarves, purses, button holes, smocking, key chains, jewlery holders, lace making for embelishments, I just couldn't stop with ideas. Now I sew every week, and it would be every day if I didn't still work I'm 58. If it hadn't been a gift I never would have spent that on myself. My advice would be to buy as much machine as you can possibly afford an just dream of things you've never tried but have seen somwhere.