These are all excellent suggestions--but YOU make the final decision; and make it with a caveat; if I don't like it, I can move up or down to suit my desires. But LA is way more easy if you don't have the "unlearning" from your sewing machine to do. I say don't bother to try to learn to quilt, FMQ if you will, just go for the LA (or HQ 16) with plenty of lessons from your seller (LQS, CL, whatever)....and go for it. I have a Gammill that I LOVE, and went from an old fashioned quilting machine set up on a 12' frame to used Gammill and didn't need so much training on it. The only thing that I really love about it is the stitch regulator--that's the best thing ever invented for quilting. Good luck, I'll be watching--wish I knew how to type in the "fingers-eye" thing the kids do in this case......LOL