I have a Janome with bells and whistles, it was away for a service recently and I bought a cheap toyota quiltmaster from amazon uk cost £150. I have pieced and free motion quilted a couple of king size quilts on it and honestly I have to say the fmq stitches on it are nicer than the ones on my janome. It doesn't have a needle down function, but I found if I hand crank the needle into the down position when starting sewing it always stops in that position. The machine is only one of the many tools we use, I hope your wife continues to quilt as it is such an enjoyable hobby.