The teacher in me says practice, practice and more practice. However, I suspect part of the problem is fear of messing up the machine and its little (or big) pieces and parts. How to wind the bobbin, how to thread the needle, adjust the tension, what to do when a problem occurs, etc. let alone trying to get a feel for how it moves and works. Heck, I'd be surprised if I remembered how to start it (as proven by my embroidery attachment for my machine). Remember how nervous you were when you first got behind the steering wheel of a car? But it didn't take long to learn how to drive or remember the rules of the road. Hands on every day will soon make you comfortable with your new toy. The memory will come back too, as you relax a bit and "do." Search the web too, my DH has found lots of stuff out there for the Gammill--tips and tricks and such.