Gayle,
May I make a suggestion? How about buying this book I got that helps you make these kind of decisions. It is called, "Machine Quilting Solutions", by Christine Maraccini. I tried to get into a macine quilting class here in my home town and it was full the within 2 hours the first day they opened the sign ups. So, I found out the name of the book they were using and bought it at overstock . com for less than the girls paid taking the class. It is a great start on learning quilting design and gives you ideas on how much, how decorative, and what kind of threads, needles .... everything.
I have been trying different types of stencils, patterns and tear aways that are cool to learn and use. It is as fun to go find these things/tools as it was to find fabrics and quilt patterns. Really! My next try at machine quilting will be a system called twice quilted.