A few years ago I was in the same position as you. I knew how to sew, but had never pieced a quilt until 2004. I began my quilting journey on a Singer Genie I bought in 1972 and upgraded in 2006 to a computerized Singer model I bought used. It was a piece of junk compared to my old Singer so I donated it to the Arts Council because it was too horrible to sell to anyone. Then I started trying to figure out what kind of machine I really needed and what features I wanted. I bought a non-computerized Pfaff Grand Quilter because I wanted a wide throat and needle up/down, but didn't want to embroider. My machine is a straight stitch only and a workhorse. The feature I can't live without is the thread cutter. It is the biggest time saver ever! I still have and use my Singer Genie to put on bindings, but stitching is done on the Pfaff. I researched machines until I was crazy, picked out the one I thought I wanted and placed a wanted ad on Craigs List. The previous owner of the Pfaff called me as she was trading up. The cost savings was monumental and the machine is one I hope to use for years.