Originally Posted by happinessbears

Well, Im a newbie to the quilting board so please be lenient with me! So, I am in the market for a new sewing machine! What I've had before are two horrible singer machines, one which i could return, the other which i could not (stupid thing!). This time, I actually did some research and have found out more about other sewing machine brands. I'm currently looking at Bernina, Janome, and Juki sewing machines (I've decided to relieve myself of singer once and for all). I know they are all very awesome and reliable brands, but price REALLY matters here! I'm getting this as a birthday present from my grandparents (they pay half) and i pay the rest. So tell me first, which brand is better? And is the Bernina really worth it? even if I get a bernina, it'll be either one of the bernettes (which aren't even made by them) or a used bernina..... So yea... And also, I sew ALOT and make my own clothes and stuff and I want a very reliable sewing machine, something I could put my life on lol. I personally want a bernina I guess, but my parents will say no (I'm sure of it) even if it will pay off in the long run. My grandma also owns an $800 janome which she swears by... Did I mention that the price range that my grandparents put down originally was $300 - $400?