A good way to learn the machine is to make yourself a sampler of all the stitches -- I use either 2 pieces of fabric (starched) or a piece of fabric with batting. Make a variety of the allowed adjustments within each stitch and use a fine tipped marker to label what you did.
The great thing about the sampler is if you need to do something later and you have the sampler, you can refer to it to see what look you want. It also really helps you learn the machine.