My vote is for a featherweight or Singer 301, if all you are going to be doing is straight stitching. There is an after market foot called "Lil foot" that gives a perfect 1/4" seam as long as the needle shaft is straight and the foot aligns perfectly with feed dogs. They sew as nice a straight stitch as my Bernina 880 (which I love). That said if you feel you need a zig zag, I would go with a 3/4 size Bernina. I don't know the number, mine is referred to as a White Pearl.
Last edited by Silver Needle; 03-28-2014 at 11:45 PM.