Do yourself a favor and involve your wife in your decision.... as you have seen in the responses so far, every sewer has their opinion on what they think is the best, if your wife is serious a sewing she will have her own "wish list." What you can do is support here interest by taking here out so that she can compare a variety of machines, a quilting show or sewing expo is great for this. If you are in Colorado, there is a great show this weekend at The Ranch in Loveland... and DON'T rush into this... be patient. You may even be able to pick up a great used machine with more features.
IMHO

It just really depends on what she wants. I am also looking for a new quilting machine and I want it to have 4 things: needle up/down, automatic thread cutter, drop feed dogs and a large harp (opening). My husband wouldn't have a clue as to what to look for. You are precious for thinking of it, but I think I would let her pick it out, unless you are absolutely sure of the features that are important to her.

What about the Husqvarna Mega Quilter? It's right at $1000, pretty basic so that would help for a beginner and it's a work horse!! Hands down, that's what I would pick for your descriptions and price range. She will love it and use it forever I bet.
;) What an awesome hubby to support your wife's latest endeavor!

I have a Babylock Embroidery Machine that I love; however I am using a Featherweight machine to do a blue jean quilt. It sews through all the layers with no problem. I just love the way it sews.

You are a fabulous hubby to be supportive of your wife like this. However, let your wife make the decision about what kind of machine she wants - it may be completely different then what you had envisioned.
My DH was all set to buy a new machine one year because he thought I needed one. He enlisted our daughters to help him pick the machine and both said to him "Let Mom do her own picking so she can find the one she likes/wants/needs." It turned out that I am in love with vintage machines and none of the newer ones make my heart go pitter-patter so I didn't end up with a new machine but as new-to-me machine. DH said he would never have chosen one like that for me.

Chris

What a guy ! ... but I agree on having HER select a new machine ! She needs to try various models out and see what she likes best ...
That being said, my personal recommendation for a heavy-duty all-round GREAT sewing AND quilting machine is the Janome 6600. Hasn't let me down yet in 2+ yrs for piecing and machine quilting, and it sews denim, home decor, canvas etc easily. A workhorse but also versatile for all kinds of sewing. The 6600 is a bit more than $1,000 - probably in the range of $1,100-1400 depends on the dealer - but you get a LOT for your $$.

The older, electrics, like Singer 15-91 are good for denim. It has a vertical feed bobbin that can be used for free motion quilting. Denim is a once in a while thing and she will probably move on to softer, 100% cotton fabrics, which are the main quilting medium. The Janome Horizon, used by Leha Day in her videos is a great quilter because of the DUAL FEED system and the automatic thread cutter and needle threader. Dual feed keeps the fabric from creeping under the needle and it delivers the fabric at exactly the right speed to the needle. They list for over $2,000, but you can get them for a lot less now that a newer, more fancy machine has come on the scene. Personally, I would get a Janome of some kind, the best you can afford. The parts are more reasonable than the European machines. Attachments are readily obtainable. Whatever you do, please, get her a 1/4" quilting foot with the metal guide. It makes 1/4" seams more attainable without eye, back and neck strain.
Quiltmaker magazine, 30 year Halloween edition, has a chart comparing all the quilting machines. They are more toward the high end pricing, but you can see the features. Rather than suprise your wife, sit down with her and go over the features of various machines, so she can get exactly what she wants and you will be rewarded by her contentment with the rather large purchase. Good luck and thank you for being so thoughtful.

I agree with the folks who tell you to let her pick her own -- machines today have so many features, only she can tel you which ones she would find most useful. Be aware, many of the Brothers are similar to the Janomes, but they cost less.

When I need real heavy duty stitching, I haul out my Elna Supra (vintage 1976). When I bought it, they told me that it would go through anything if I used the correct needle -- and I even sewed through cardboard. (Is she using a new Jeans 18 needle to try to get through the thickness?)

I had the Janome 6500 and now have the 7700 -- love them both. I got the 7700 for the freearm and the better lighting, as well as accufeed. The 7700 sews through most thicknesses with a little encouragement, and is a dream for piecing and regular piecing.

In my opinion the JUKI 98Q or newer version is the best. I saw it sew through ten layers of denim in the demonstration I got that made me decide this was the one. I made a good decision. It works like a horse and never tires.

The Husqvarna Viking Sapphire 835 is within your budget, it has a 10" throat space and is great for machine quilting. I have the 875 and it has the same 10" throat, just more features and decorative stitches.

Thank you everyone for all the responses. Between what has been said here and what has been said to me in private messages, I think I am going to arrange for the major sewing store in town to arrange a showing for my wife so she can pick what she wants. I may have not given her enough credit in my initial post... she has been sewing and quilting (I thought this was her first quilt... I misunderstood [you know how we husbands can be with our listening skills]... it is her first jean quilt) since she was 12, she just hasn't really had time to do either for the last few years since our kids were born 13 months apart and she home schools the kids. Our kids are now getting to the age that she can give them an assignment and not have to watch over them like a hawk to ensure they actually do the work, so she has started to get back into her favorite past-times.

If anyone has any other suggestions on machines, though, please keep them coming. The more I can learn about this stuff, the better. Unfortunately, when I am home, which isn't often (don't you just love lawyers?), my wife and I prefer to spend our time enjoying each others company and talking about innocuous things, so I don't want to make her feel like she has to give me a lesson in sewing/quilting and the like.

I agree...let her pick it out. I personally would go for an all metal (gears and all) but preferably not aluminum body. Why? You or she can probably (maybe with the help of some of these board members) do all of the work on it...cleaning, oiling etc. You can oil those newer nylon/plastic things but you need to take them to the local repair guy once a year for proper cleaning. I own about 8 machines and the newest is a 25 year old Bernina that requires the local repair guy for cleaning yearly and can handle anything but then so can all the rest that I have and I can maintain them. Saves money for more fabric. Oops, I forgot...I do have a combo sewing/embroidery machine that is newer.

I think you should let your wife choose the machine.....for several reasons.....first a sewing machine is something you need to test drive...just like if you were buying a car you would want to test drive it.....so why dont you give her a card and in it say this is a gift for you but I think it would be better if you choose what you like and I bet she would would be so happy...there are so many sewing machines out there.....and its really a decision that only the user can make...just my opinion.......you are so sweet to care about your wife's hobby and craft......good luck and may god bless......Trish

Ditto this. You're a very thoughtful husband.

What a wonderful gift!!! Go fabric shopping with her and get to to look at some of the machines, see which one she likes, and get her to sign up for some quilting classes at a couple of the Quilt shops, and she can see what others are using. Then surprise her with a beautiful card with a IOU coupon in it for a new machine. She needs to test drive some of the machines, like you would if you were buying a new car. But I suggest that you let her buy her own machine, or at least find out which one she really wants then surprise her with it. Check on ebay, if you want to purchase a less expensive one at first the up grade later. Good luck, keep us informed. This is very exciting and I know she will be thrilled.

Check out dealers in your area. It is very important with a new machine to be able to get service, advice & classes from where you bought it. I have a Pfaff & a Janome & love them both for their different features. If your wife is interested in quilting her own quilts make sure you look into the extra bed space available on many machines. I agree that she needs to test drive her machine before buying, but how thoughtful of you to want her to have a new machine!

I can recommend the vintage Singer 15-91 for quilting. It has a very nice stitch and is easy to maintain. It only has straight stitch forward and reverse. See how much other sewing she is still doing and keep the extra $ for a different machine to meet those needs as has been suggested. We only paid $35.00 for ours table and all.

I suggest going to more than one store so she can try out several brands. When you say major sewing store - are you referring to Hancocks or Joanns? Sometimes they don't carry the brands recommended here.

I love my Janome 6600 which I purchased used at my local dealer for $1100.

My husband surprised me with a Kenmore Sensor-Sew 30 years ago when I passed the CPA exam. It was the worst sewing machine ever! I gave up sewing for many years, simply because I didn't have the heart to tell him what an awful machine it was. Had it serviced numerous times to fix the tension, but it never worked properly. Since I desperately needed a working sewing machine, I purchased a cheapo one for about $250 about 20 years ago. 15 years ago I got back into quilting, but the cheap machine would not sew through denim or more than 3 layers of fabric. The motor would also slow down and need to be shut off to cool down quite often. I read lots of machine reviews and finally ordered a Brother embroidery and quilting machine about 12 years ago. It wasn't cheap, but it still works like a champ!

Ask your wife to decide which machine she would like to have, and then you can order it for her. To me, a sewing machine for an avid quilter or seamstress is a very personal item and needs to fit her needs. I absolutely love my Brother sewing machine. Found one on Amazon for my daughter for about $600 that can handle up to a 5" embroidery hoop. My daughter loves that machine as well.

I'm wanting a midarm myself - I saw one at Paducah which sits happily on a table, although you can use it on a frame too.
And hearing the same thing from others about newer sewing machines, such as "Those old all-metal Singers were great, the newer ones make great boat anchors." I was given a 1955 Singer 301 which was used by a woman who made curtains and slipcovers. It has the same bobbin case as a Featherweight and still runs great. However, it can't handle the shifting tension problems that crop up in FMQ. I took it to a class once and demonstrated that I COULD do FMQ on it (it took a bit of rigging to get the hopping foot I found to work properly) and the person teaching the class was amazed the machine could do it. Currently doing a 4th quilt on a Husqvarna Emerald 118... long story, not happy with the results of service at the dealer's.

OK, after this one she probably isn't going to make another jeans quilt, after all she has already cut up all her old ones and doesn't have any more. :D
A lot of the shops are going to be putting stuff on special for the holidays so you may find a pretty good deal. I have a Janome 6600, but I got mine used so not a good comparison.

well, she isn't going to be always sewing on heavy, thick fabrics unless she really enjoys working on denim. I made a quilt for my son out of his old jeans and corduroys and yes, it was impossibly heavy - I ended up just tying it, rather than trying to quilt it with a machine (didn;t even contemplate hand quilting) I have a Juki and it probably would have powered through that quilt, but I didn't have it then....so for a new machine I would suggest a Juki, either the quilting or Exceed models. (both around your price point) However, if you have to time to peruse Craigslist you can probably find her a good vintage machine - either a Singer model 15 or a Japanese clone of singer 15 for under $100 that she will be able to use to finish the jeans quilt...it will be a simple, very strong, powerful straight stitch only mechanical machine that she can use for all her piecing and quilting if she desires...or you can still buy her a modern machine with "bells and whistles" like a Juki to go along with the 15 - most of us have a "few" machines to play with:-)

Joann

I think a Janome is a good buy. Seems to be built well and you can get one that is designed for quilting. If you have a dealer near check if they have any on sale. I bought ny 6500 that was a floor model for $900 and got full warranty. The 6500 is very similar to the 6600, just the older version. It may be better if you surprise her with a check and let her pick out her own. So many out there to choose from.

Legally, when you're done surprising your wife, tell her about this forum and ask her to come join us. Make sure she tells us who she is and what machine she got.

Hi,
I just purchased the Brother PQ1500s. It will be used for piecing & free motion quilting. I went to a friend's home and sewed on her 1500 & the equivalent Juki. These are both machines that only straight stitch but will sew at a high rate of speed. I did a lot of research prior to testing the machines out. There are 2 vendors on Ebay that sell the Brother machine for under $600. I own 2 high end sewing machines that embroider and do everything one could want but I just felt it was important to dedicate a (workhorse) machine to free motion quilting & piecing.
HTH
Min

I would not advise you to surprise her and get the machine, surprise her and let her pick out her own. She will be a lot happier.

A nine year old thread is revived by someone who's first post takes you to a website that he wrote an article for. A website that is part of the Amazon affiliate program so if you buy this sewing machine he gets a small payment. This post seems to be a form of spam.

Henryleo's post above is spam. Reported! Do NOT click the link

janiebakes - you are correct, but he didn't write the article. He may not even exist. These review/affiliate sites are purely content scrape fake review ones. There have been dozens of this exact spam in recent months, always a new and different user name.

Thank you MKC. I have been seeing a lot of this kind of post and it didn't even occur to me not to click the link. Naive of me.

The size of the harp space is so important in FMQ with a domestic machine. I have a Janome 6600P and have paid for that machine just with the money I have saved by quilting it myself. Don't get me wrong, the longarmers are wonderful and I so admire what they can do, but I just like to make the entire quilt myself. I have to agree with some of the other comments so far about trying out different machines as it is a pretty big investment. Good luck and happy quilting.