I have a Pfaff 2054 (fancy stitches) - bought a Brother SE350 (sewing/embroidery) and then bought a larger Brother PE770 for the 5x7 emb field. The machine I use the most? - the little SE350 - it is light enough to carry around, has the automatic thread cutter, easy to set for that 1/4" seam, can "pop on" the embroidery unit if I want, uses any kind of thread I can throw at it, including bobbin, and the one I find myself turning to most often. I would especially recommend it for a young person just starting out.
Marysewfun