Buy the Brother or Juki straight stitch machine and the Brother cs600i for less then $1000. Best combo ever and no big investment.

I have the Husqvarna Topaz 20. It is a sewing machine/embroidery machine. I got it because I wanted the embroidery machine, but also as a back up to my Janome MC 6600 P. When I bought the Husqvarna one of the items they showed me was how easily it sewed over seams and multiple layers of denim. It could even do the Levi seams. It is a true workhorse, but then so is my Janome. I use the Janome for my piecing and for my quilting. The clue for my Janome it sewing over thick seams is going slow and relaxing the presser foot.

I only quilt. I have the Janome 6600, Janome 8900 and the Juki tl2010q . I like them all but the Juki by far deals the best with multiple, thick seams and has the best stitching....but it's just a straight stitch machine. The Janome 8900 has the best harp and the accufeed foot is great with the quilt sandwich. The Janome 6600 is the best all around but neither Janome can compare with the Juki for thick, multiple seams. Both janomes have top loading bobbin and the juke has a side loading bobbin. The quarter inch foot on the Juki (called a compensating foot) is better IMHO than either janome quarter inch foot.

The brother VQ2400 should be in your budget maybe even the VQ 3000 with deals that may be going on. My brother dreamweaver sews through anything 10 layers of denim, vinyl, minky, you name it it sews it. All the v-series machines have the same sewing capabilities

Might I recommend that you check out vintage (1970s and earlier) Singers? They are quite often available in excellent condition for very reasonable price and will do absolutely marvelous straight stitching of everything from thin silk to multiple layers of denim.
They were designed to be easy to maintain and last "forever".
I have a featherweight that I got in like new condition several years ago for about $400. I've since seen them priced anywhere from about $150 on up depending on whether they have been well taken care of (or refurbished) or they are in need of some TLC (tender loving care).
There are other models which are also well thought of that may be even less expensive. (More $ for fabric!).
Check out the vintage machine section of this board for all kinds of good info.

I love my Baby Lock Espire (it is now marketed as the Symphony).

I have the older Juki TL98E. If you could ever find one, you would never be sorry...To buy new, I would definitely go for Juki 2010... This is REALLY a heavy machine...and you can clean and oil yourself...
I have a Singer (Stylist 9960) with lots of fancy stitches to use on quilts, etc.
Does not compare to a Juki for speed, and regular/straight sewing... Hope you check out/research all the machines online...

If I was purchasing another machine I would look for a larger throat than my bernina 440 has. Then decide if I want a sewing with fancy stitches or just straight sewing or with or without embroidery options. This will start to separate the machines.

I only quilt also, but I do like some of the heirloom stitches on my QE4 and Pfaff Performance 5. It's no secret my first Pfaff (Quilt Expression 4.0) was a lemon - it was replaced by Pfaff - and I hated it. Once we bonded, I loved it and when I saw the Performance at a quilt show, it was love at first sight and I've never regretted it.

As someone already mentioned, the built-in walking foot (IDT) is bliss. In fact still having to add a walking foot to the more expensive Bernina is one of the things that stopped me buying one.

As well as the auto-pivot (no need for presser foot lifter or knee lift) which just starts sewing when you depress the foot pedal (Look! No hands! Lol), I like the Sensormatic mode for FMQ, where the foot just 'hovers' over the quilt sandwich instead of hopping up and down.

There's a good YouTube video here that you can watch from the comfort of your armchair (it's over an hour long). I suggest you make a list of what's important to you and take it from there. Good luck!

Well, I researched and weighed the pros and cons and decided to go with the Bernina 560. Should have it by the end of next week and am looking forward to getting my new machine.