I bought a small Bernette for travel and am sorry I did. They are not made by Bernina and are cheap piece of plastic. I agree with everything Prism said. I am most familiar with Janome because that's the only local dealer we have. I know several friends who bought the Janome Gem basically for a travel/workshop , machine, but I'm not sure it has the features you're looking for. The Janome 3160 is a great machine for new quilters. I started out with the Heart Truth machine and have traded up each year until now I have the 6600 and love it!

If you are limited in budget, I would definitely ask the dealer if they have a nice machine that has been traded in. I have many quilting friends who "have" to have the latest model and will trade almost every other year if not every year to get the latest thing out there.

Good Luck and welcome to Quilting!

I think if you can find a Bernina 830 record, which is a mechanical rather than computerized machine, on Ebay it would be in your price range. They have all the needed features and are very sturdy, they will sew for decades with good results. I know this as I have been sewing on one since 1974. It still runs a as if it was new. Repairs over the time I have had it, well for the first twenty years I sewed so much on it I wore the bushings down to a nub and I have had to replace the foot pedal. I don't sew on it as much now as it is my backup to my Bernina 440 so it is in semi retirement. I still use it when I am teaching my friends daughter to sew. So look on Ebay and I think you will do better than with a low end box store machine. One of the advantages of a mechanical is you do not need to go to a Bernina dealer to have it serviced. Any sewing machine repair place will do it on a non computerized machine.

Do you have a manual that came with the machine. Usually they have a replacement parts listed. Maybe buying a foot pedal and a walking foot (a walking foot keeps the fabric edges even). I have had a Kenmore machine forever. The only thing I have done is a cleaning ($69.00) and bought a walking foot. The Kenmore machines are sold by Sears. Also Overstock.com has some pretty inexpensive machines that you may want to look at.

Have 2 old machines (one a treadle) and wanted a new machine. Bought a Brother from WalMart - has needle up/down, speed control - good selection of fancy stitches and needle positions. Have completed a dozen quilts on it with no problems. Get it serviced every 18 mo or so and am happy with purchase. Also came with CD instructions as well as manual. Ck them out.

Try this link(funny but informative):- www.evidently.org/2007/02too-much-information/

I got a "page not found" with that link.

I just bought my granddaughter a Brother macine (10 st, has darning/quilting foot) for 63.00 & free shipping. She loves it! Easy to use (Emmali is 14, but has learning disorders)...I was worried about the bobbin area, as it has to be kept clean...but her mom says she will check and clean it for Em. I have several machines, well, ok six or seven, if you don't count the serger, longarm or 12 needle embroidery machine, lol. I like the Brother SE270D (it's a little embroidery/sewing machine I got at walmart ...which is were I ordered Em's machine). I use the Brother mainly for piecing now...love the thread cutter, what a time saver. I have a Singer 2662 and got it in 2006...it's got a nice zigzag stitch that will look like a satin stitch. I also have a Futura CE150 (sewing/embroidery) that is used mostly for sewing, and three old Singers...one is a treddle. It was cheaper for me to buy Em a new machine and have it sent to her, than it would have cost to send her one of mine.
If your singer is pulling (I'm guessing it's puckering the fabric...or is it that you have to pull the fabric through? Either way...get it cleaned, or clean it yourself. The CE150 is about 500.00 right now...so probably more than you want to pay..I'd look at the Brother machines for under 300.00... they will cost more if you buy from a dealer. Walmart has some good machines for around that price, and some for a lot less.
Marge

Please don't buy a cheapie from WM or anywhere else. Stick with a vintage all metal machine or go with the Janome. The footplate shouldn't be a problem. I've had Janomes for the last 20 years and have never changed a footplate out. I've got an old Kenmore, an old Morse, a few Singer treadles, a 1970s Singer, a Janome 10001 and a Janome 9000. I bought a little Brother machine @ WM to carry to classes. It had the needle up/down and the automatic thread cutter. A good bargain I thought, until I tried to sew on it. The harp area was so small, I would have lucky to fit a quilted placemat under it! I think you will be VERY happy with the Janome or a vintage machine. JMHO!

Maybe you could sew some other items to help pay for your Machine... Pillow Cases, Diaper bags, Messenger Bags, Tote Bags, Gift bags...most of those I mentioned are straight seams and zig zag raw edges. I got some drapery/upholstery samples at a local Thrift shop and these made some great little bags about 10 to 12 inches square or Rectangle with Drawstrings in top casing. Sold them at a Craft/ Rummage sale at Church for $2.00 each. Also made some larger bags to put personal items in for local Woman's Shelter ( comb, toothbrush and paste, deodorant and small bar of soap). You could offer to do mending for ladies and gents that go to local Senior Center (low cost), many can't see good enough or don't have sewing machines... Hemming dresses, slacks, etc...or a nursing home might have need for some one to do mending and get paid for it.... its a thought..... I have a Husky 140 by Viking, that I have had for some time and it does well for what I need it for.... plus it had no problem sewing the Duck fabric for Corn Hole Bags- 32 the first time.. I used a needle for Denim fabrics... and it worked just fine... I agree with others on this post that you need to sit down at a machine with the fabric you like to use and give them all a Test run... I just bought two sewing machines at a Estate Auction for $3.00 - one is a older Kenmore by Sears and Roebuck and the other is a Domestic #1630 sold by the Standard Sewing Equipment Company from Cleveland, Ohio. The Amish lady got the older Singer that has a outside belt so they can hook it up to a treadle .... and I also have a Singer that hubby got at another Auction that is brand new in the box for $30. The two older machines are metal... and the lady that had them used them all the time.

I had an old Janome that did not have the switch plate option (don't know if you can buy one separately), but it always ate the beginning of a seam- needed to use a scrap to start. My new Janome has an auto change plate, so much nicer than having to change plates all the time. Something to dream of when times get better.