I am a fashion design student and this was my very first sewing machine when I first started out in my bedroom many years ago. I have used many professional sewing machines and far more expensive equipment in the studios but never decided to change my home sewing machine for a different one. Its the most minimalistic, straightforward machine I've tried and the amount of crazy unimaginable projects I've been able to create with this little beast to this day is incredible. I tend to be ruthless with machines so I've even used it for sewing thick leather jackets and done all sorts of crazy things that are definitely not meant to be done on an entry level sewing machine but it still handled it like a boss. I did have some problems with thread tension from time to time but it's nothing compared to what this machine can do. I'd recommend this to anyone as the best option for a home sewing machine when you're starting out with high ambitions.