First of all may the Lord Bless all your endeavours, and those of your families, during the new year 2009. These are the questions: 1. Should my wife first embroidery machine also sew? 2. Should it be able to communicate with a computer via USB for maximum access to software? 3. What format of card or cartridge software media is more advisable or less advisable. 4. Is the 4x4 hoop size, sufficient; or is better to consider from the start the larger 5x7 hoop size? Experienced enbroiders, please help me avoid falling into the initial financial traps (mistakes). My wife owns a 2 year old Brother D6000 Sewing machine, that she uses every day, and I just ordered from amazon.com the Brother 1034D 3/4 Lay-In Thread Serger for her. We've been talking about embroidery, and she is very pleased with her new Brother brand sewing machine, which replaced and old Singer. So we are inclined towards the Brother brand. We have noticed the significant difference in price when you examine and consider a multi needle/multi color machine. We would also consider purchasing a little used one with low number of stitches, once we have answeres to the questions we have. We've been thinking of a little used Brother Innovative 4000. Sincerely, Juan G.

A quilter needs tools just like a painter needs different brushes. Just don't ask me how many paints (fabrics) I have...that's a whole different story in itself. haha! Not all machines can do the same things or even do the same things well. If that is ever invented...let me know! I want to buy it ASAP! haha One machine may have very neat stitches for piecing yet is horrible for free motion quilting. A quilter needs to buy the tools that suit her tastes and needs best and if that means having 10 different sewing machines, then so be it. Happy Sewing! Audra http://www.auraquilts.com Here is a link that might be useful: AuraQuilts.com

I have a babylock evole and love it. Once you start using it you will wonder why you didn't buy on a long time ago. I have not done any quilting on it, but a friend does the majority of hers on it and says it works great. Threading can be a pain but once you get it down right its easy. The trick is the order in which you do it. If you are looking at the order of the threads you have 2 needle threads then the upper looper and the lower looper. Thread the lower looper first then the upper looper second. Then the first needle thread and last the second needle thread. Then pull all of the threads to the back and do a test run on a scrap of fabric good luck Bonnie

I learned to sew at 38 as well :) Taking private lessons with a lovely lady who helped me make my DH a bunch of silk pillows and a crazy quilt. She's an amazing person :) and had many first timers who were well over my age. Her studio was in the basement, and much smaller than yours, and yet she'd have 4 women in there at a time and occasionaly a man would take a lesson as well. I learned curtains with a wonderful guy trying to suprise his future wife with a redecoration of their wedding home. She did instill one bad thing in my little mind. I just couldn't go home to the manual brother machine I purchased at wally world for a couple hundred dollars. She had all bernina's, all computerized and she also had babylock sergers. Now I can't live without the best machine I can afford. Six years ago I didn't sew a seam and now I think it would be nice to upgrade my 3500 machine LOL what a machine snob!!! That's loretta's fault entirely :) But she also gave me a hobby I love, and that I've used to raise thousands of dollars for charity, so take that as a small hint to not forget the old people like you and me when you're giving lessons :) (And put the old people on really cheesy machines) LOL my husband asked me to add that.