Babylock and Brother Lover here, won't have anything else

Brother
 

I have 4 Brothers and one of the 299.00 from Walmart and it is a workhorse. I love it. I also have a Viking and Singers.

The lowest price newmberninas are around $800 and up. A used mechanical bernina might be the way to go. Though the BsR would be nice, i bet it is expensive!!

She will love a Bernina, trust me!

I have had a Bernina machine(s) for years. The first one was a 150QE and I still use it. Over the years I have purchased and traded up a number of other Bernina's. They are good machines and last. I have a friend who has a 930 from years ago and it still sews like a champ.

mltquilt

I have been sewing for more than 40 years and am on my fifth Bernina. I need to explain. I learned to sew on my mother's Singer featherweight. My parents gave me a Capital in a cabinet for a graduation present. About 20 years ago I went to work for a shop that sold Berninas and did custom dressmaking and alterations. After working with a Bernina daily I just had to have one. I was able to purchase my first Bernina, a 1260, at dealer cost so I was able to get just one step down from the top of the line at the time. I just recently traded that model in for a newer used one. The newerer models actually have a mileage feature. My first one didn't or it would have shown at least 100,000 miles or so. It was one of the first computerized models. I also own a Bernina serger and their first embroidery machine. Last year I purchased one of the lower end Berninas for under $800 dollars, ironically it has all of the features of the 1260 plus more decorative stitches. The main reason I wanted it was because it is 10lbs lighter than my older machine which was all metal. I use it for retreats, workshops etc. The only drawback of the lighter weight machine is that when I put the pedal to the metal, as I am inclined to do it vibrates a lot more than the heavier models. My newest purchase was a used trade in Bernina Artista 185 that has even more stitches and of course my favorite features the needle down position and the knee bar which I can not sew without.
If a person is serious about sewing and quilting a Bernina will make it a pleasure everyday.

I bought a Bernina 440QE soon after I started quilting. The BSR (Bernina Stitch Regulator) makes free motion quilting much easier. The BSR and walking foot are included with the 440.

If it is for quilting, try a straight stitcher with a wide throat. The one I use is a Brother Nouvelle 1500s, the Babylock qnd Juki machines are similar and they are also called PQ 1500s. They produce a very nice stitch and are strong enough to sew through thick layers of material without effort.

If I had to do it over again I would start with a cheap Brother with the needle down function. Strait stitch machines run around six hundred or you can get a good basic Brother even cheaper but be sure to get needle down. My first machine is a Brother quilting machine that I bought new for $129 but it dosnt have needle down. It is a little workhorse for pieceing.
Then save up for a embroidery machine that has a large hoop. This way you can use it to quilt the blocks just like an expensive long armer would do. Ive seen the quilts done this way at shops and they are beautiful.
These machines cost as much as a long arm but dont take up the room needed by a big frame.