IMHO progressing in skill level does not have much to do with your macine. But rather in the increase skill of the quilter when it comes to cutting, patterns, and peicing. A "easy" machine will not keep your seams even or cut the blocks correctly. I would suggest that you take beginner quilting lessons from your LQS if you want to improve your skill quickly. Any machine can be a struggle if the user is not struggling with the quilting process.