I haven't done it since 9/11 but I flew with my sewing machine from Orlando, fl to Paducah, KY (by way of St. Louise, MO). I bought a rolling hardside sewing machine case that has foam padding inserts in it. I was using a Pfaff 7570. I checked my clothing suit case and carried on my sewing machine. When asked about that I told them i could easily buy more clothes but my sewing machine was worth more than my clothes. My machine fit in the overhead bin from Orlando to st. Louis. But the plane from St. louis to Paducah was a puddle jumper. My 'carry on' bag was wheeled to the plane (by me) and then placed in the belly of the plane because there were no overhead bins.
Unfortunately I do not know the name of the company that made my bag. But I feel pretty comfortable with it traveling in the case. Guy monitoring the scanner did have to call over someone else to verify the contents. But otherwise everything was fine.