I have always had Singer's. I love the 301 it's a work horse. The featherweight has such a nice comforting sound, not to mention they stitch great and easy to carry around. It's a machine that you can work on and maintain your self.
But I have a little gem that I got at a garage sale for $5. It's a Elna Lotus SP. It is soo cute and I use it more now than my featherweight. It has it's "own" case that's enclosed in. It also zig zags. I get a lot of looks at classes when I bring. I also have a 15 year old Janome Memory Craft 9000. So everybody has their special machines they like. I don't own a Bernina. I have an old Viking. I've been sewing since I was a little girl, hence my avatar. Pam