For many years, I had a Singer for my main sewing machine. I changed to the Elna-Quilters Dream because at that time it was being shown by Eleanor Burns who is one of our top quilting teachers. (since then she has changed brands, not me).

I do like my Elna very much. It does what I expect it to do. But, you need to know that if you are doing quilting and the machine you purchase does not come with a 1/4" quilting foot, you NEED to purchase one. This is important.

I also have a Singer Future which is a sewing machine with an embroider attachment and I really like it also.

The reason for having more than one is that I teach sewing in my home and also do sewing for the public.

If you have any questions, please contact me and I will be glad to answer if possible.

Janome is my pick; I currently have the 6600P, Memorylock Serger, smaller 760 and the 350E Emb. machine. I gave my first Janome to my girlfriend and she continues to use it. In addition, I have just purchased the Janome that Hancock's sold for $39.99 for my Grandaughter so when she comes to visit this summer, we can play together :D . So, there you have it; I give thumbs up for Janome. I have never had any problems with any of them. They have traveled everywhere with me and I wouldn't trade them for the world. Good luck choosing. GiGi :D

One more thought before you buy. Make sure the machine has a walking foot and quilting foot. These two are invaluable. Thanks, GiGi :D

After looking at the site, it appears they only sell Pfaff machines. GiGi

Do your research and then go to ebay. You can buy new and used machines at a fraction of the cost and quite often delivery is free. I bought a Brother that retailed for $560 for $189. You can buy the accessory pieces as well. They have all of the major brands so you really can get what almost any machine you want.
You won't get the lessons that a local dealer might offer but if you're all about the bottom line you sure get a lot of bang for your buck. Use a paypal account and the whole thing is money-back guaranteed.
Even if you decide not to buy on-line, go ahead and print out some of the offers to take to your local dealer and use them as leverage to get him to offer you a discount or throw in some freebies.
Hope this helps. Your wife is one lucky gal and you tell her I said so.

I am completely satisfied with my 6500 Janome. I have no trouble with it since purchasing the machine and then I purchased the Janome Plat 670 for taking on vacations and classes. What is especially nice is that the feet will go with both machines. I have also used the small machine in needle thread classes and it also does a wonderful job.
Good luck :

I have been sewing for more than 30 years and I have found that you get what you pay for. I have sewn on $100 machines and $1000 machines. For light sewing, a $100 machine is probably fine. But if you are going to tackle quilts, I would recommend a better machine. That doesn't mean they have to be brand new, you can get wonderful machines second hand. But I think that your wife would just be very frustrated with a cheap machine. The thread tangles, gets caught and gets jammed easily. It makes sewing no fun. They also wear out very quickly. I currently sew on a Janome. It costs a litltle more than $1200, but oh, so worth the money!

I received a kenmore 385, it is a wonderful machine for the price! It has all the bells and whistles of a Bernina! Love it!

I agree, when buying a sewing machine, you get what you pay for. I went shopping for a new Singer/Kenmore and found that many of the new models are built in foreign countries and have inner parts that are made of plastic. Needless to say I still sew on my 30 year old Kenmore. My niece bought one of the new Singers and her cat jumped up on the top, breaking the foot she was using. This was a small cat and the foot was made of plastic. Ask many questions when shopping for a new machine. And look at more than one brand so you can compare.

Hi I have a Janome Memory Craft 6000 that I have owned since 1982 I paid 1500 for it at the time and noticed recently a used one similar vintage for 530 dollars. I also own a singer 222 which is a featherweight /featherlight from 1957--has a removable arm. I learned to sew on that machine and my brother very kindly gave it to me when my mother died. It is still in excellent condition and works like a dream.

I love both machines for different reasons.
Good luck shopping