Oh my goodness, I have been told I can have a new machine for christmas. So off we go in the next days to check some out, I will be picking it out for myself........so any input would be helpful from you.....thankyou! :-D happydance going on here. :D :-D

The best advise it to try as many machines as you can to find one that is user friendly to you, and has everything that you will use with it, have a list of what you are looking for including feet etc, you can find specs on most machines online and can do some home work before going out.

good for you!!!11 Make a list of what features are important to you. Then test drive machines that have those features. I would recommend purchasing from a reputable dealer. Make sure to negotiate the price. It's kind of like car shopping.

I would love a Bernina, though it's a bit too pricey I think. Next in line I'm thinking Pfaff.........Mmmm, decisions decisions! :lol:

I agree, make a list of what you want...what is negotiable. Then go and test drive as many as you can in your price range. Don't be afraid to ask for deals or what the dealer is willing to toss in to seal the deal!!!

I love my Janomes. At first, I wasn't at all interested in embroidery so purchased the 6600. It MC6600 is a workhorse machine and a superfast stitcher when you put the pedal to the metal. The only drawback is that it does not have a free arm. Became curious; learned more about embroidery and now also have a MC11000SE which does it all, including embroidery. Would definitely buy from a dealer. They can help with any problems and will sometimes throw in this or that to keep a customer happy and one who will return to buy other things.

Buy the best you can afford. Avoid joAnn's and Walmart and etc boxed machines if you can. Get a few lessons on how to use your machine if available. Rember this is like buying a car or house you want to keep for a long time :D

I have a my old Bernina 930 and love it, but would not even consider a new Bernina because of the price and they are not near as good as they use to be. There are a lot of great machines out there. I know Pfaff is one of the best and many of my quilting friends own and love them.

I would go for a Featherweight for sure. They are sew sweet!!!

I am a basic seamstress, so if I were in the market for a machine, I would have to be careful of getting all excited about the ones with lots of bells and whistles. I really would not use them. If you use all the different special stuff, that is fine, but try to remind yourself of what you would actually use compared to how much some of them cost.