stitch678

Last year, l bought my dd a Brother 6000i while l was in Fla., and used it before bringing it home to her. lt was inexpensive, had an extension table, a walking foot, st.#37 is a perfect scant 1/4" for piecing, a good range of stitches, including blanket stitch ( nice for applique) and only weighs 10 lb. I found the motor powerful enough for other sewing , but it's a bit "whiney"

jjs56

You can start your search at home by going to Sewing Machines Plus, or a similar website. SWP shows prices, so you can get an idea of what is available in your price range. Read the description of the machines and then go to the manufacturers website for more info and you can even download and read the instruction manuals. Once you've narrowed your search, go to your local, certified dealer and try the machines. I'll also add that I think it's best to get a machine that can be serviced locally by a dealer/repair shop that is certified by that particular manufacturer. I've had much better service over the years by certified repair shops rather than those that repair all brands. My go to machine that I use the most is a Bernina 150QE.

SR41

Everyone has their own personal favourite so you'll get as many different answers as there are brands of machines. As others have said, visit several dealers and test drive lots of different makes and models. Take along different samples of the type of function you want the machine to perform, eg piecing, machine quilting. If you have a favourite thread, take that too. My other recommendation is to buy from a reputable dealer rather than a box store or on line because you might want good after sales service.

Onebyone

I would say the Janome Jem Platinum series. They are fantastic.

momsbusy

Janome and Babylock have good reasonable machines. Go to a sewing machine shop and try them out. When you purchase from a shop, you normally receive free classes on how to use your machine. You do not need an embroidery machine to quilt.

Vir

My husband gave me a Pfaff Passport 3.0 for Christmas. I LOVE IT. It has the IDT system (built-in walking foot), needle down, foot pedal and button stop/start, fabulous lighting over the needle, lightweight (13.9 lbs) and more decorative stitches than I will ever use. One in particular I like is the serpentine stitch. I used that for a baby quilt and it turned out great.

carolynjo

I still cling to my 1958 Singer 401A. It is the tank in my collection. It will sew anything, I think. It is all metal--the last year before some parts became plastic. With conscientious maintenance, it has been in hospital only once. It is my go-to machine. They cost about $250 in my area, come with cams for beautiful embroidery, and a variety of stitches. I'd go for that if you can find it. Also, purchase a 24" or larger grocery cart, wheeled, which will even go up stairs, line it and put pockets on the outside, and use it to haul everything you need to take to a quilt class. My cart is 30 years old and does not climb stairs, but I have used it "to death".

Stitchnripper

I agree with shopping around - everybody's connections to machines is different. I will say again that just because someone wants a vintage machine doesn't mean it will turn up any timesoon at a reasonable price and needing little work. I have a lot of vintage machines and I like them and use them but if my sewing/quilting depended on me finding one in a hurry I would have been out of luck. It took me a very long time to collect them. Craigslist, eBay, and thrift stores are all very "hit or miss" Maybe y'all have had better luck than me!!!

mem

I have three machines; two I would not drag around, which is why I bought the third: a Janome 720 in disguise (it's actually called an AQS Anniversary model). It is very lightweight and great for taking to classes and sewing at guild and with friends. I think I paid $300 several years ago; not sure how much they are now. It's great for everything you mentioned, but I'd not want to use it for quilting anything large...has a very small throat.

You've gotten a lot of good advice here. Definitely go to dealers and try see what they have, especially used machines. Take your fabric, thread, and quilt sandwiches and try them all out. There are many great machines out there, but you'll know the one you want when you are using it. And be sure the dealer is someone you like and will trust for repairs and maintenance.

Happy hunting!

AZ Jane

Given all your requirements, a Featherweight would do the trick. Now the trick is to find one that works well (easy to fix, lots of videos on how plus a whole group right here on QB), and is a good price. The ones who are prestine are the ones that go really high, so look for one that may be a little scuffed.