A lot of quilters like the Janome Jem for taking to classes. This line comes in different levels (starting with gold, I think, and moving up to platinum) ranging from a few stitches to lots of decorative stitches. Typically for classes it's enough to have a good straight stitch and zigzag stitch options. Weight is around 12 lbs, I think, very similar to a vintage featherweight. Here is a link to one on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Janome-Jem-Gol...dp/B000FLH2VE/