I just recently purchased my long arm machine. It is an Innova, 18 inch on a 12 foot frame. I purchased it used from a dealer. It is super easy to load a quilt on my frame.....I use Red Snappers. I practiced for about 2 months on layers of sheets and batting. I just finished my first baby quilt last week and have the second one on the frame. I am really loving doing ruler work and geometric designs. My circles and curves are not perfect enough for me.....yet. I have never been much of a doodler and that is one thing that is really helpful. I have placed drawing pads all over my house and force myself to doodle whenever I can. It has really loosened my up and has caused me to explore new patterns. If you can draw it, you can quilt it........or just about. My problem is I can't draw. It is getting better, but I tend towards things that I seem to do well naturally......lines and geometric designs. My machine does have a stitch regulator and yes, I am using it. It keeps all my stitches uniform and allows me to concentrate on my stitching not my stitches. I do not have any software that will automatically quilt a thing. I want to be in control and be creative. I am not interested in pantographs nor all over quilting, but prefer to master more custom style quilting. I have recently learned of heirloom style quilting and that is very interesting to me! I have a lot to learn! I do have pantovision installed on my Innova. That would allow me to do pantographs using a tablet mounted on the machine to follow a design, instead of doing pantographs from the back. I also have the laser that can be used front or back to do pantographs or copy from a book, etc. I am only interested in using these for custom blocks.....not all over designs. I did get a full day of lessons with my machine purchase and the dealer is awesome to work with if I have any questions or problems. Innova also has a 24 hour/7 day a week phone number that will help you with anything you need..........I think this is the only company that does this at this time. I purchased this machine to just do my own quilting. I could not find any quilters that would do custom work and I am done with pushing and pullling a king size quilt through my home sewing machine! At this time, I am not considering quilting for others, but that could change if I would improve greatly and needed the income. I LOVE my Innova! I have never felt a machine that glides so easily in all directions, with just a finger at the contols. It is the only machine on the market that can be updated with each new techonology that is created, so I will never have to trade my machine up. (unless I need to change sizes!) These machines are created by engineers that really know how to assemble machines that will last forever! My training also included a half day lesson on taking it completely apart and reassembling, fixing most things on my own. AWESOME, yet scary at first. I really feel these are the best machines out there!!!