You've gotten some great replies. I've had a Janome Horizon 7700 for about 3 years, it was VERY expensive (to me, at least), and I've not regretted having it one bit. It's a wonderful machine. Having said that, I also enjoy sewing on my Featherweight, and my Singer 401a, and I still sometimes work on my almost 10 year old, simple, mechanical Kenmore badged Janome. Depends on my mood and the project. You don't HAVE to have a high end machine - just one that functions well. Was the Horizon worth it? Yes, absolutely. As long as a machine doesn't crunch your budget, why not?