Lisanne

I'm finally at the point where I am ready to buy a sewing machine. I'd done some looking before, then life got in the way.

I'm a beginner with sewing machines. I'll want to sew clothes as well as quilts, and may want to sew some leather on it. I'd love to have embroidery on it, but I don't want to pay hundreds or thousands more just for that. I remember reading something about needing a high enough or wide enough throat?

Today I saw a Husqvarna Viking H|Class 100 that sounds almost perfect, and it's only $399. The outer plastic looks kind of cheap and cheesy to me, but I was assured that the innards are all metal and that it's a tough machine. It's portable, has adjustable thread tension, stitich width (up to 7 mm - is that okay?) and pressure foot pressure, and needle stop up/down. It's new, just out last month. Does anyone have one? Any opinions or impressions about it? Does it have all the basics I'd need? Any disadvantages to the model or the brand?

Any thoughts on other machines? I can go up in price (maybe to $1200), but again, not just to have embroidery.

By the way, PLEASE don't suggest a used machine. I know the benefit, but I won't be happy with a used machine.