Oh boy! so exciting! Two of the most important "first things"--how to load and how to adjust tension. My biggest hang up when I got my Gammill was changing tension on the bobbin--I'd been trained with a DSM NEVER to change bobbin tension so was very afraid I'd screw it up! Be sure they show you how to check bobbin tension without a Towa gauge, although I find that using my Towa with each bobbin makes for lots less hassles. A friend gave me some excellent advice--get a large piece and just quilt to your hearts content--don't worry about design, just go nuts with quilting--you can always use it as a picnic quilt and the 40lbs of thread in it will keep it from blowing away!