I've been quilting for more than 40 years, with a 40 yo Singer sewing machine. While I paid $350 for it back then (and I can't believe that I paid that much when I was a college student), I've made a number of quilts with that machine. I like the space available in which to stuff the quilt (called the "harp") as you're quilting it. That's better than most of the machines today including the high end ones (