Exactly What I Needed!
After not sewing for 25 years, I hardly considered myself an accomplished seamstress anymore but I wanted to get back into sewing. I did a bit of research and consulted with my daughter who works with industrial sewing and embroidery machines. She told me I couldn't go wrong with a Brother machine and urged me to get the SE400 so she could teach me machine embroidery and I could teach her to sew. It has been an excellent choice! I've been using the machine for about 6 weeks and couldn't be happier with the performance thus far. I've made skirts for my granddaughters and half a dozen doll clothes outfits for their dolls. I haven't tried embroidery yet but my daughter has and she was so impressed she wants an SE400 for herself! I did break a few needles but it was operator error, I forgot I had changed to a pressor foot not meant for a zigzag stitch. I've used several different stitches and find it a breeze to switch to different ones as needed. It comes pre-programmed with every stitch I imagine I will ever use. It is easy to thread, wind bobbins, and switch functions with the touch screen features. The programmed "help" file makes it easy to review how to's without digging out my manual to look it up again. A welcome and oft used feature is the automatic needle threader! I'm very pleased with my purchase and look forward to many enjoyable hours using it!