I have an HQ16 and love it. This is a customer quilt I just finished. www.quiltcorneronline has a great deal on an Avante right now. They are located in Baton Rouge which may not be too far from you. Good luck in your quest for a machine. I know it is a huge investment but I get so much pleasure from my machine I think it is worth every penny. I bought a used machine in order to save money and it has worked out just fine for me.