Update again -- We (my sis-in-law and I) didn't get back to trying out the quilter until early September. It acted very weird - the jog and needle up/down buttons would make the machine groan as it slowly tried to move the needle. I couldn't pull the bobbin thread up without getting the top thread stuck. The LQS sent a teacher back out to the house and she confirmed that it was not just us, but the machine was having more problems. Two days later, the LQS boss delivered a new machine. It purrs like a kitten! Hopefully this one will not develop the groans and moans that the other one had! I tried it last night and it was so much fun!
Fingers crossed, I'm going to quilt my first real, not just for practice, quilt this week! My sis-in-law is finishing up a quilt top for her daughter's 4th birthday next weekend, so my niece's quilt will probably be my first "real" quilt to do! I'm excited! I've been practicing my butterflies and flowers on Kendall's magnadoodle and on the whiteboard when I can get the markers away from my niece :)