nancyw

I am so lucky. I kept my Bernina 180 and use it for classes. It probably weighs as much or close to the 440 but I have a wheeling tote I put it in and when I have to carry it up stairs it's never more than 7. I manage and I'm 66.

pennylynne

I bought a Viking Hclass 100Q and it is great. I take it to my sewing group gatherings and classes because it is very portable. It has a lot of nice features, including the blanket stitch. It is a very very nice to sew with. Take one for a test drive and you will see. Have fun shopping for your machine.

mtngrl

I have a Brother SQ9050 that I got at Wal mart for $200, I think it is a very good machine for the price, even has an extension table, walking foot and fmq foot. I used it quite a bit while I was researching machines when my old Husqvarna was giving me a lot of problems. It is only about 12lbs.

Carol34446

Have a brother SE9000 with 80 stitches. It is light weight, needle up and down and sews great and doesn't weigh too much. Got it on Overstock.com for $139 delivered.

sparkys_mom

I bought a Brother CS6000i four years ago when I started quilting. It has lots of stitches, a walking foot, and is very light weight. I can lift it with one hand. It is perfect for classes. I ordered it through Walmart for $179 and used their in-store pickup. I upgraded to a Janome 7700 last year but there is no way I would want to lug that monster to a class! I will keep my little Brother.

KathyJ

I bought a Janome 3160 at the Paducah 2011 quilt show specifically for a class machine. LOVE IT!!!! In fact, I like it so much, I use it more than I do my Janome 10001. The 3160 is fairly light, has multiple deco stitches, is easy to use, dependable, has needle up/down and - the best part - built in scissors! That's my favorite option & the main reason I don't use the 10001 except for embroidery. I found a scrapbooking tote at a garage sale & it carries my machine, accessories & fabrics nicely. I'm in a scrap group that meets monthly & this machine has been a lifesaver. Whatever you select, hope you enjoy it as much as I do mine. Blessings for Christmas.

newbee3

I got a janome gem and it is light and easy to take to class. We normally just sew straight seam or zig jag and mine will do that I use the machine with the bells and whistles at home. The only time I take my fancy machine is to class that I want to learn something special. They carry it in and out for me so that is a great help.

Lady Diana

This one is under 12 lbs. Great quilting machine. Since you are mainly piecing in class, this machine has the auto thread cutter, a must for piecing. I couldn't believe how light weight it was with all the bells and whistles.....especially that cutter.
Diana in TX

My time

Okay I probably going out on a limb here but I bought a little brother sewing machine with a table extension and 77 stitches for $129. I think it's a CS6000. I bought at London Drugs here in Canada. It's light weight and great to bring to class. My daughter loved it so much she bought one.

cricket_iscute

The chances are that the bobbin case was the problem. Secondary problem could be the bobbins. With Featherweights, just because a bobbin or bobbin case is supposed to fit the machine, doesn't necessarily mean it will.

BTW, I take a lot of classes and some teachers want free arms, feather stitch, zig zag, etc. I take a Bernina 1171, the Quilter's machine. It does everything needed. However, it is heavy, so if I am taking a class that ONLY needs piecing, I will take a Featherweight (Singer 221) or a Singer 301 if I need piecing and free motion quilting. A Featherweight can be touchy about the thread used, and a 301 handles every thread I've given it except YLI. However, 30 out of 32 different and various manufacturers' machines had trouble with the YLI thread in a class I took and some had to go to the repair person.

Cricket