Have you had a look at the Brother range of machines? They have a large variety in a large price range and most have exceptional features. (Yes I do own a couple of Brother machines, but have also owned other brands.)

I also recommend a Janome for you. I have 2 of them - one of which is the Horizon 7700. I also have a Bernina 820 and consider the Janome to be nearly equal to the Bernina for 1/3 the price. I also have a small Janome which I take to class and it is wonderful. The smaller Janomes are in your price range and would serve you well. I also made all my clothes when I was your age and beyond. Good luck and congratulations on your talent.

Definitely Janome. More for your money and very reliable. I wouldn't get the Gold or platinum if this will be your only machine. They're great for traveling but they're not full sized machines.

I see myself in you--at least the way you describe yourself. I made my first dress when I was 8 and was sewing for the public by the time I was in high school. Sewing was therapy to me and also saved our family a lot of money. I used old clothes to make new ones for smaller people. For example: girls wore gathered skirts back then and many were in plaid. I could use my old skirts to make little boys shirts. Then I learned to make quilt pieces out of the scraps--actually the original way women used to quilt. During my college years I paid for my courses by doing alterations for people--mostly wealthy women for whom I also cleaned house. I sewed quite a lot for girls in my dorm, but they rarely paid what my work was worth.

Now to the sewing machine choices... My final year in college I was thinking of getting married and knew I did not want to take my mother's machine with me to my new home. Mother had bought the White (treddle) machine for $15 when I was born and it had been a used one. The cabinet was in mint condition. Every time I passed a sewing machine company window the new electric models beconed me. One such machine was a Singer 401 Slant-o-Matic. I was mesmerized by the prospect of having a new electric machine all my own. My covetousness got the best of me and I made a deal with the store manager to bring my White machine (in mint condition) to the store as a trade-in. I paid $400 for the new electric Singer and he got the old one. What I did not know (store owners never tell you things like this) was that the antique I gave him was worth far more than the new Singer. My mother cried and I cried, but a contract is a contract. If only I had consulted my mother first... So much for the wisdom of a young girl.

My choice would probaby be a cheaper model Janome or maybe a Bernina if you knew the parts would last with time as well as lots of use.

BTW, I still use that same old Singer 401 and love it. I sew; I quilt; I patch and I still do alterations for people. I have had a new (very expensive) Elna and gave it away because my old machine was more reliable. There is no computer to go haywire when it gets bumped by my kids or grandkids.

A used Bernina from a reliable souce is much better than the bottom of the line of any brand. I have used the Bernette in teaching a class at the quilt shop. It may be made by Bernina, but they should be ashamed to put their name on it. I know many new sewers had used the machines so they saw harder use than one an individual would use, but these are not the quality of a Bernina or Janome. Good luck to you.

You'll get a lot more sewing machine for your money with a Janome...and they are great machines! You can buy a brand new Janome 6500 for about $700. and they cannot be beat for reliability.

I think you meant to say a Bernette is NOT made by Bernina.

This is a good point. Check with the local dealers and see if they have a good refurbished machine for sale. These are still excellent machines - complete overhaul and just like new and you could get a very good machine for a good price.

I have no doubt that my Janomes would stand up to anything you could throw at them. I've put mine through their paces without a lick of trouble. Statements like that are why you have to take what dealers for particular brands say with a very large grain of salt.

I've had 2 Pfaffs and they are excellent machines. Both of them would have fit your price range. Never a problem with either one. But I upgraded to a much more expensive machine and got a Janome Horizon and am very pleased with it.

There are a lot of great machines out there. Bernina is a very famous brand--Juki is known for industrial strength machines, I believe. I think all three brands are probably excellent