I just got my machine in Nov and have been taking lessons from dealer to learn to use it. It's a Babylock Ellure Plus. I love it except that the biggest design area I can do with this machine is 5x7. I didn't realize this when I bought it. I saved forever to buy it and if I had realized this I would have waited to up grade to a better machine. My teacher said not to use cheap thread (Coats & Clark) because it will cause problems in your machine. It will fray & shred. I didn't know this. I grew up sewing with this thread and never had a problem but I'm not gambling with a $2000.00 machine. There is a book I'm going to order from Amazon, it's titled "Embroidery Machine Essentials-How to Stablize Hoop & Stitch Decorative Stitches by Jeannine Twigg also Basic Techniques same author. They seem to have more basic information than others I looked at. The key to good embroidery is the stablization. It's makes all the difference in the world in how a piece turns out. Did you know to monogram a towel you have to stablize the top side & the bottom & you don't hoop it. My next lesson we are doing towels. Can't wait to do T shirts. Hope you have fun. It is a learning process.