Take a look at the Brother CS6000i. I know a lot of people look down on machines you can get at Walmart, but this is a really nice machine with a lot of features for the price. I've been using mine for about 6 years and had no problems. It is pretty lightweight and I've taken it with me on trips. You can do a search here on the QB, some other members also have had good luck with this machine. Also look online for other reviews. For low cost and lightweight, I think this one is a winner. The throat is small so quilting any big projects is difficult, but for piecing or quilting small items it works great. Below is a link to it on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Brother-Featur...rother+cs6000i