I bought my Avante last year - I have a great dealer who answers all my questions - I did not take any classes - but was told how to set tension etc when I picked it up. I must say it has been a steep learning curve for me - I was afraid to touch it for a while - then I got discouraged because I wanted to just go and go but it did not look good when I was finished. Finally bought videos - watched videos online purchased books and finally started using my longarm - I am not perfect and still pick lots of stitches but I am feeling more confident now. You will get it also - just takes time.