I won a lot of ribbons even at bigger competition with my Bernina 1530 which I am still quilting on her. Not in competition any more because I am disable but I can still piece charity quilt tops. But you don't need laser light or automatic thread cutting to win unless you want to have one of those computerized long arm quilting machines that automatically quilts. I can understand in getting a larger throat. If you want to up your skills, I would suggest finding a class that will help you achieve that. They would most like be at major quilt shows. Good Luck !!