Karen, I am so glad you started this thread. I've been thinking of starting one to discuss best methods of combining embroidery machines and quilting, but here we are!
Two Christmases ago my husband bought me a Babylock Sofia 2 which is both a sewing machine and embroidery machine with a 4x4 hoop. I was looking for a sewing machine that had more stitches and he talked me into it. I wondered what on earth I would do with an embroidery machine. Ha! Less than a year later, I bought a second one - a Brother PE-770 with a 5x7 hoop.
Looking forward to the posts on this thread.