Originally Posted by
Stitchnripper
Consider a Brother PQ 1500 or 1600. I think the 1600 is a new model very similar to the other one. High speed and good for FMQ and sewing through layers.
I second this. Knee lift, needle down, 1500 spm. It also has a pin feed which you may find very useful for your thicker upholstery projects.
I bought one used from another quilter and fell in love with it. It's a workhorse. I've had it 15+ years, use it daily, and it's never needed anything other than regular oiling. I love it so much I sold all my other machines (Singer, Pfaff, and Janome) and bought a second 1500 for when friends or my mom come to sew, and as a backup in case my first one ever needed servicing.