Hi fellow Iowan
You will enjoy all the info on this board and glad you found us! In thinking about a new sewing machine, consider what you want to be doing in the next few years and buy a machine you can grow into. I like to both piece and free motion quilt on my domestic machine - and so for me, having a needle down button, knee lift, and a good quality stitch were important to me. Not sure where you are in Iowa, but I would recommend finding a sewing machine dealer and going from there. I have a Janome 6600 and love it - but there are many good machines out there. Again, welcome!