as the mom of 5 daughters who has bought all of my daughter's machines: if you like Janome, go for floor model (think used) or a really good trade in model. Don't worry so much about the decorative stitches. Be sure you have nice, understandable button hole options, easy threading, bobbin is accessible, a plus if you can rewind it in case but certainly not necessary. Most of the more recent ones are computerized, no matter how many options they have. I've had both: my original was a Singer Futura ( i hated it), then i got the Bernina 830 in 1981, which i love and which one of my daughter's now uses. My current machine is a Pfaff which i also love.
Congratulations for finding this site and for being interested in sewing and quilting at a young age.

I have had Janome machines for about 15 years and always updated to newer models trading in my loved Janome to get more features. I have had no problems with any of them and I now have the Janome 12000 and love it and I'm sure that's my "forever" machine..it does all I need it to do with stitching, embroidery, quilting and I love it too.

i am a bernina lover... i bought my first and only sewing machine 4 yrs ago at a quilt shop it was used for school home economics so you know it had had a lot of wear now 4 yrs later it is still in perfect shape i paid $350 for it and have had it serviced every year and it is in beautiful condition and i love it... easy to learn to quilt on..

I have a Janome and highly recommend it. Never have had a minute's trouble. If my house caught on fire it would be one of the first things I would grab. lol

I think for price, variety of machines, and dependability go with Janome. I have two a 6600 and 3500 and love and use both. The features i would look for are the automatic needle up and down, and thread cutter. The 3500 doesn't have the tread cutter but there are quite a few machines in your price range that have in the Janome Brand. Your grandmother should be a big help in makeing your decision. Good luck and happy sewing.

Janome is much less expensive, and they come in different price ranges. The machine dealer near me sells some wonderful used machines which are all refurbished and in great shape for as low as $50.00. She sells used Janomes and wonderful prices. Check your local quilt stores that sell machines, or better yet check the machine dealers that repair and resell good machines. You could get an older machine that was once sold at the cost of a thousand dollars or more and only pay a fraction of that.

Quite a few of the Janome machines are on Amazon. This can be a good way to check features, pricing, and customer reviews.

"A good dealer is a very important asset." This is exactly what several people (long time sewers) told me when I was looking for a machine. If a dealer for your make machine is not nearby, how will you get it serviced? I bought a used Bernina 153 QE from my local shop quite a few years ago. It was a trade-in. Then recently a friend moved, bought a new to her machine from a friend, then decided she needed to downsize and offered up a Bernina 153 and a Pfaff 7550. I jumped on the Pfaff because I have a local Pfaff dealer too. I love the built-in even feed on the Pfaff but I do miss the knee lift that the Bernina has. Bernina accessories are pretty pricey. As others have said, check out your local dealers and see what they have for sale. Also check craiglist and ebay once you figure out what you want. You can really get some good deals although you won't have the warranty in place most likely. Always, always try out the machine first no matter where you buy it. It has to feel right for you. Good luck. Hope you find your new "love" soon.

I have a Janome MC 9700 which I picked up off Craig's List for $800, only two years old, hardly used. It's my "Dream Machine", just love it! But you don't need the embroidery part. Actually, I don't either, and don't use it, but it sews like such a dream, it's computerized, does everything I want, and for the money, it was more than everything I needed. I do not regret the purchase. Brand new, the same machine was priced at $2,499.00. And mine was as good as brand new. Look for that kind of a deal. They do exist. Even if it goes past your birthday, hold out for the best machine for you. You'll use it a lot, have it for a long time, and won't be sorry you held out for the right machine.

That's my humble opinion anyway. Good luck to you!

Definitely go for the Juki. More bang for your buck. They have some lower priced gems. Motor power is very important and nothing beats Juki in that department.
Good luck