I have the Brother CS6000i and it is a great little machine and very light. It does come with a walking foot and the only accessory I had to add was a 1/4" foot. And I love mcwillia's idea of an extra set of "traveling tools" - your wife would appreciate that, too, I'm sure. If you get the Janome gem, then your wife will have two gems - the Janome and YOU! :)

Just saw amythyst02 post when mine came up -- and she's right -- a surprise shopping trip rather than making the machine choice for her. Or you might consider purchasing the travel case for a machine (which can be returned without much hassle if it isn't the right size) and give her that with a note inside that lets her choose what to put into it.

I have a brother cs6000i just to take to classes. Mine came with the extension table and walking foot. I have two friends that have the Babylock Audrey and love them for taking to classes. Theirs came with an extension table and weighs about 12 lbs.
You are such a thoughtful hubby!

I have a Janome Platinum. (like a Gem) It's electronic and weighs 12 lbs. I bought the 720 since it's less expensive then the 760. The 760 has a bigger variety of stitches but I don't think you need a lot of stitches for classes. JoAnns has small pull cases on wheels that it will fit into.

Bernina makes a great simple machine, the 215. Look into it. It sews a great straight stitch, buttonholes, and the feed dogs drop for free motion quilting. Plus, it holds its value if you sell it.

Does she have a friend she quilts with or a quilt group you could ask if she has talked about a certain machine? They are a great source of information. One year my husband bought me a beautiful watch that I had been wanting.....little did I know he had contacted my best friend for some ideas. Love my best friend....in so many ways.

I like to be surprised with smaller items but you have to live with a machine for quite a while so I agree with the handmade gift certificate for a shopping trip. I have a janome gem 760 and love it for classes and travel.

Love my Janome Magnolia!

What a great guy! You can always get her a nice bag with wheels and plenty of pockets for her tools, etc. And yes, there's always a friendly face to lift the machine to the table for her. Quilters are some of the nicest people around!

You need to include your wife in the selection of a sewing machine ,so that she doesn't feel obligated to be happy with the machine even if she's not. She doesn't seem ungrateful to such a wonderfully, thoughtful hubby for buying her a new sewing machine. Would you want her to buy you power tool that you haven't be able to help choose?
I have both the original Singer 221 featherweight and a Janome Jem Gold 2. I prefer the featherweight for piecing quilts as its quieter and sews a better straight stitch. The Jem has 3 settings for stitch length that can't be adjusted any further, the featherweight you have total control over your stitch length.
Sharon

I love my Janome Platinum Gem. It is lightweight (12 pounds) and has a variety of stitches available. My big machine is also a Janome (6600) so all the parts and bobbins are interchangeable with both machines.