I have been in the market for my own sewing machine for a few months. My mother has been sewing all of my life, so I caught on to the craft at an early age and enjoyed tinkering on her machine to make little projects. As an adult, I have been making trips to her house to use her machine when needed. I recently decided that I'd like to be able to make and mend at my leisure with my own machine, so I started researching and comparing the top brands on Amazon.I didn't want to spend more than $175 on a sewing machine that I wouldn't be using everyday, but I also didn't want a low-quality machine that would only sew one layer of material at a time. My initial needs for the machine were Halloween curtains, Halloween costumes and leather seat covers for my car. Obviously, I needed a machine that would allow me to sew through leather so I started looking for "Heavy Duty" sewing machines. My first search led me to a Singer, which is what my mother has and what I'm used to. I literally had that machine in my Amazon cart and was about to check out when this Janome caught my eye in the recommended section. After reading the reviews and comparing the two machines, I knew this was the one and I bought it on the spot. I am so glad that I did.This machine performs all the basic functions of any standard sewing machine and it does them extremely well. The speed with which it sews is phenomenal; I finished a quick set of curtains in under ten minutes and was pleasantly surprised with the results. The Exclusive Bonus Bundle is also fantastic. The other machine I was considering hardly included any extras, but this one has a full pack of extra bobbins, two packs of replacement needles, replacement presser feet, and a METAL (not plastic) 4-step buttonhole foot as well as a detailed and helpful instruction manual. It has the ability to sew 12 different stitches (I have only experimented with a few, but they have all worked beautifully) and I have not had issues with my thread breaking even once (a far cry from my previous sewing machine experiences). I find myself looking around the apartment for things to mend or re-purpose so that I can keep using my machine! When I'm finished with a project, my extras and tools go inside the slide out compartment on the machine, the dust cover goes on top, and the machine and power cord go into the closet. I don't have to leave it out because it's too heavy to move, and it's always a breeze to set up; just plug it in and go!All in all, I couldn't be more pleased with this purchase. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned seamstress, this machine offers a top quality performance to help you create beautiful projects with ease. I recommend the Janome 2212 Sewing Machine one hundred percent.