I love my Janome 7318. I bought it as a beginner machine but truly, it's been fabulous for me. I have made 10 quilts, all pieced and quilted on it (SID and FMQ) and I still love it. It was only $250 when I purchased it, and came with lots of accessories. It doesn't have the needle down, but I wasn't willing to spend $100 more just to get it. I like that it's not computerized, since I wanted to learn on a mechanical machine first. Figured it was less electronic parts to break. It has 6.5in from the needle to the base and I've quilted up to a 108" quilt on it.
Friend of mine has the Brother CS6000i which is currently going for $150 on Amazon. Comes with extended table, walking foot, hopping foot for fmq, and other accessories. Also has needle down. And 6000 reviews and it's still 4.5 stars. Just depends on what she's looking for
