Originally Posted by jillmc

A good friend of mine has been bitten by the quilting bug-yay! She wants me to go machine shopping with her-she has been using her daughter's Singer, but after sewing on my Bernina, she would like to get something a little more functional than what she has been using. Her budget is $500. Reading reviews online, Brothers seem to be popular...any suggestions on specific models, or other brands? I watched a YouTube video review of a basic Janome, and to be honest, it didn't look like it had the features I think are necessary-needle down being one. Thank you!