My first purchase was an affordable combo sewing/embroidery machine (the BROTHER LB6800-PRW which is the same as the BROTHER SE-400). It did a wonderful job sewing/piecing AND embroidering up to 4" x 4" (and it really wasn't all that difficult to attach the embroidery unit). I embroidered EVERYTHING that first week!
HOWEVER, as I began to taking sewing lessons, embroidery lessons and then quilting lessons, I decided I really enjoyed quilting. Since the machine doesn't have a lot of area, I decided to do "COTTON THEORY" or "QUILT-AS-YOU-GO" or "FOLD-AND-GO" style quilts. Ran into trouble with my very first quilt sandwich. Even with a dedicated Brother Walking Foot, it simply could not go thru the many thick layers required for that style quilting and/or keep an even stitch. I was getting so frustrated and naturally thought it was a user problem (me!). I asked a couple of my instructors from my quilting classes to give it a try and see what I was doing wrong - it wouldn't work for them, either. They finally brought out a Pfaff Ambition for me to try using, and that machine purred right through the thick layers without blinking an eye!
So I had to make a hard decision - was quilting or embroidering more important to me - this particular combo machine was not going to allow me to do both.
I decided I would use the sewing machine more for quilting (and other sewing). The dealer allowed me to trade/upgrade my Brother LB-6800 to the Pfaff Ambition 1.0 and I haven't been happier! Absolutely no frustrations. And I'm saving up for a stand-alone Embroidery Machine (with a bigger 5x7 hoop area).
Good luck to you & your daughter!
Last edited by icul8rg8r; 06-13-2013 at 10:52 AM.