Take your own fabric samples, and samples of what you do or would like to do. Go to a dealer and give the machine a good workout. Check out all the feet and extras. If that dealer won't let you do hands on with supervision, I'd find another dealer. You are the one that has to "feel" the machine to know if you can live with it. Most machines are very good. That said, they all have quirks and will even have a quirk between two machines of the same type. You are the one who will be using it, so make sure it is one you will be comfortable with.