Okay - update!! I've been taking all your advice to heart and had discussions with my hubby. He is a woodworker by trade and has VERY expensive tools. However, he makes a living with them (he owns his own company - doing architectural millwork). Having said that, he is not against my buying a machine - just our budget. How much we can afford, but he fully understands buying quility vs. cheap bandaid fix. Now, I've searched the internet - ebay, amazon, overstock, etc. and Craigs List. I decided to try Craigs List in WI (I live in MN) and I found a Janome 6500P about 100 miles away. The woman was selling a this machine because she could not figure out how to use it. She bought it when she retired because she wanted to take up quilting. She said that the machine is too complicated for her and she has not found anytime to do any quilting - poor dear. Anyway - it's still in the box and has all the attachments and she is selling it to me for 1/2 the price! I will pick it up on Saturday! Doing the happy dance!!!