The best machine you already own is you. It does not matter how expensive your equipment is. You can get by just fine with something simple (Kenmore) if you do not plan on sewing a lot in the future. I sewed on my Kenmore for almost 30 years, and in ways, love it better than the Husqvarna/Viking that I recently purchased. (We are still building a friendship here.) I have used both equally for quilting, and just because a model says it is built specifically for quilting, don't believe it. That extra space between the needle and machine would have to be huge to make it better.