I did the same thing. I know it sounds unbeliveable to most quilters, but the doubt will get to you. I did not open my machine for months.Just remember Rome wasn't built in a dayand you will not master this in a week.My machine said to use for a month off the frame to get the feel of it,and it was a great help. You will get the hang of this, maybe you will have to use panographs and that will be okay also.Long-arm quilting has a learning curve of 3 to 4 months is what I was told.I also to my neddle out and got the feel of how the machine worked without fear of breaking needles. Have a great time with your new purchase.