I have 2 stories about machines. The first class I took was at a shop that sold machines, I had a 25 plus year old Kenmore that I loved, it was solid, never broke, and sewed straight and beautiful. The teacher didnt want to even teach me because my tension was off. I moved a switch and it sewed a perfect line. The owner of the shop kept saying terrible things about my machine, she wanted me to buy top of the line Janome machine that was thousands of dollars. I went 2 x to the class and left, feeling inadequate and ashamed. I kept trying to learn, and taught myself through the internet and trial and error . I then joined a church group who made charity quilts. A number of the women had older machines, older then mine even. The leaders of the group had high end berninas and janomes, and were aggravated that the older machines werent making the exact 1/4 inch that their machines were. So, they said the women with older machines could no longer sew for this particular quilt. They went from machine to machine to see whose machine was off. I felt like i was on a witch hunt. Again, I took my trusted machine and went home, and didnt return. It took so much for me to try to get out and join a group, each time didnt work out. But, I still love fabric, love to sew and want to make quilts! Now I do have a new machine, but not a top of the line, and I love it very much, it does everything I need and more!