That's exactly what I was thinking! I would quilt and sew on whatever I could afford - and do! Would I like to have a top of the line machine and long arm quilting machine? Sure - who wouldn't?! But you can make wonderful things with an old, used machine with just a straight stitch. I think the question is not so much what machine will do the job - they all will - but just how much she really wants to quilt, or whether this is just about keeping up with the Jones's. If you spend more than you are comfortable with to try and foster an interest that's not really there, you might find you have to invest in a professional gas range or she won't cook anymore, or a Rolls Royce or she won't drive anymore. Just saying.....

My friend is using an old basic machine from the 60s.... I have a much newer, "fancier" machine and I tell you what... I envy her perfect neat stitches!!! Try looking for a book or magazine article or short story where a quilter tells about learning on an old machine or how she loves a certain vintage machine. I saw an article like this once and wish I could find it for you. This woman had an old machine that she used and she went on to teaching her friends to quilt and sew and each one of them started on her old machine which went home with them as they were learning. It was very sweet and really made you love that old machine of hers. New isn't better!!! I hope your wife will stick with it. Sewing has been the best thing that I learned in my entire life. I have a college degree but I value my high school sewing classes just as much...if not MORE!! And now, sewing is my therapy when when life just gets too stressful and overwhelming! Good for you for encouraging her. That's so kind and caring!

Ditto! Seems like there would be more reason(s) than that to decide not to be a quilter.

I totally agree with this. I started my creative sewing and quilting on a cheap Janome machine. I've worked up to a more expensive Bernina now, but I turned out some beautiful pieces on that Janome. I even won a prize in the Sulky Challenge back in the day with a garment created on the Janome. The fancy stitches and bells and whistles are nice, but they are definitely not essential to creating beautiful garments. It doesn't take the most expensive machine to do your best work. Creativity comes from inside. Not from the machine.

I have a pricy Bernina and an old time Singer featherweight. I prefer my featherweight hands downforce piecing tops. I take my best quilts to a local long arm quilter and have them done. With a walking foot, I quilt smaller things on both machines...still love the Singer. I have looked at several tabletop quilting machines but can't justify the investment. Tell her to enjoy the process, get a machine that sews well and forget the bling. I have had the Bernina for 10 years and still don't know how to do most of what it is capable of.

If the needle goes up and down, you can quilt on it. Quilts were made long before machines to quilt with. Maybe she isn't as interested as you think??

Encouragement
 

I, too, have a Brother CS6000i that I love. I have had it for about a little over a year and have it for my students, and they seem to love it. I teach in my home. I have as my main machine a Pfaff 7570 which we paid $1000 for used and it is approximately 30 years old. I remember seeing it in a shop when it was new. It is the last Pfaff made in Germany. It is 30 years old and it is my main quilting and piecing and sewing machine. The Brother you can buy from Ken's Sewing Center very reasonably, and in fact the one I have is a factory refurbished one (just like new) and I got it from Ken's for $125. Good luck and I do hope she keeps on with her quilting.

I went to a craft fair in Ak. in the early 90's, where I first saw my dream machine, way over my budget at that time. But it in no way kept me from making quilts, stopped counting after 400, well about 4 or 5 years ago I got that dream machine I had fallen in love with, LOL and did not use it for over a year, what if some thing happened to it? then I would not have my dream machine any more. So I got another one for backup. then I could learn how and to use my dream machine, long story short, ended up with 4 dream machines, what I really use on them, the built in IDT, up down needle, straight stitch, yep that is about it,
I had heard so much about the 221 featherweight I started getting them have 5 right now, (gave one to one of my 4H students) and they are really great for nice even stitch, and light weight to take to friends house or guild,
or classes, took 2 on a retreat in Sept. and they are soooooooooooo cute! The best part of the FW 221 is that you can service them your self, I got the book and DVD on how to care for them. saves me about $80.00 each time I would have had to take them in to be serviced. I also have all my 4H students use the FW;s have 3 classes a week, so they get used a lot, and they are ALL metal so will last many many more years. In MHO I would suggest FEATHERWEIGHT, or an older Pfaff with IDT made before 1995, made in Germany. I really love my machines, and would not even think of a high end machine as I would not havea any use for all the bells and whistles, have more of them on my Pfaffs than I will ever use! GET a FW and save up for a mid arm or long arm.
No matter what machine she ends up with if she really wants to quilt, she will, my quilts are no better on my dream machine than the ones I made on my old machines, Pfaff, singer kenmore, it is the quilter that make the quilts. Good luck and it is great that you are so supportive I hope she is of the things you love to do too.

I have been quilting for 10 years and have a 1950 Singer that only has straight stich, Would not trade it for anything else. It was a hole $35, best money I have ever spent.

Persoanlly. I'd let her not get into quilting then. Seems she's never going to be happy, and will always use her not having 'some' fancy new thing as her reason she doesn't do well.
I've been quilting on an old machine, bought in the 80's (computers were just being added and I told the salesman I wanted a MECHANICAL machine)

IMO, I don't quilt to show the talent of my machine, but MY talent.

I have a couple of spare machines, the same model, for parts, and they were in good working condition and less than $100.