Ok, I mis spoke, their is the Sizzix Big Shot Pro (a light blue machine - shorter bed) and the Sizzix Big Shot Pro Westminster ( a purple machine - longer bed - designed specifically for the needs of quilter's). They both do the same functions just the bed on one is longer than the other. Sorry to mislead or confuse. I have been battling computer issues all day and the brain is frazzled! There is also the Sizzix Big Shot - a much smaller, lighter machine that doesn't take all the die sizes. The Sizzix Big Shot Pro will work with all manufacturers dies with the assistance of a spacer - some people just use a couple of pieces of cardstock to make up the difference or a piece of chipboard. Ann in Tn

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the Big Shot Pro takes almost all, but not all, of the Studio dies.

I just bought the Accuquilt studio. It won't accept the Accuquilt Go! dies but it will work with any *commercial* style die from other manufacturers like Ellison. The key is the *commercial* designation. These dies are much thicker and heavier and designed for heavy use.

I thought long and hard before purchasing the studio, but in the end it was the only one that had the exact sized geometric die that I needed and I can see myself using it a lot in the future. If I were going for applique, I'd probably go for one of the consumer models that have a wider range of decorative choices in their dies. And although I'm a Luddite myself and prefer mechanical to computerized, can see the advantages of cutter that can translate a personal design into an applique, even if slow.

I second this...much better products for your money! I have been using Ellison/Sizzix for 10 years now!

You can see them at http://www.sizzix.com
under their new quilting section!