I started with low end Brother. The hoops were too small for what I wanted. I was able to upgrade to a used Bernina Artista 730e. I have the largest hoop they make for the machine. It too has gotten too small for quilt blocks. I would go with a multi Needle machine with the largest hoop area you can afford. I have upgraded to a 16 Needle machine with 15 by 17 stitching field. I saved for 10 years doing some work for others.