I need a new machine here at home, I cannot afford a mid arm or a long arm, either financially or even space wise. I think I have narrowed it down to Janome being the brand name, but what I really need to know is.....what bells and whistles do I really need? There are a few different machines, some are more basic than others (ex; more stitches available). I do not trust a man to sell me a machine that does not use it to do the same thing I want to do. He may know everything about all the machines but he is not a quilter.
Long story short....what features are absoloutley essential to you to have on your machine to get the job done?