Thanks girls! I got my machine - I actually also picked one up for two friends who couldn't get to the store (last day of the sale) so I bought THREE at once ha ha!

I got most of the basics you mentioned, plus a couple of things one of the lovely salesladies suggested (I told her it was my first machine and I didn't know what I was doing, and she was great!). Also got some material to make 2 pairs of ruffle-butt bloomers as my first projects! All those bits ended up being nearly $90 but included good titanium scissors ($9), another pack of 3 scissors ($9 - needed some for the house too) and a magnetic pin thingy ($10) as well as elastic for the bloomers etc.

Cannot wait to get started! But I need a sewing table too - am going to get DH to pick up one of those folding 6 foot long ones from Bunnings ($48) - will come in handy around the place, and I can set it up permanently in our spare bedroom for now, so no need to pack everything off the dining room table every time I sew!

Yay!!

MrsBexie - roughly how long does it take you to make a pair of bloomer with that pattern?