I have a Tin Lizzie 18LS, not sure about the Empress model. I am actually pretty happy with the machine itself. Nice stitch, easy to set the tension and it will sew with any thread. I have had a lot of issues with the stitch regulators, so I just learned to work without them. It sounds like you are going to use your existing frame? I would verify with the Grace company that it is compatible. The machine is very heavy. I have a grace imperial frame and although the frame itself is very sturdy, the machine rides on plastic rails which need to be replaced because they have deteriorated. I have read it's because the machine is so heavy. You can easily get replacement rails, but the whole frame has to be entirely disassembled to install them. There is a Tin Lizzie Yahoo group that you can also check with.