I am so lucky. I kept my Bernina 180 and use it for classes. It probably weighs as much or close to the 440 but I have a wheeling tote I put it in and when I have to carry it up stairs it's never more than 7. I manage and I'm 66.

I bought a Viking Hclass 100Q and it is great. I take it to my sewing group gatherings and classes because it is very portable. It has a lot of nice features, including the blanket stitch. It is a very very nice to sew with. Take one for a test drive and you will see. Have fun shopping for your machine.

I have a Brother SQ9050 that I got at Wal mart for $200, I think it is a very good machine for the price, even has an extension table, walking foot and fmq foot. I used it quite a bit while I was researching machines when my old Husqvarna was giving me a lot of problems. It is only about 12lbs.

Have a brother SE9000 with 80 stitches. It is light weight, needle up and down and sews great and doesn't weigh too much. Got it on Overstock.com for $139 delivered.

I bought a Brother CS6000i four years ago when I started quilting. It has lots of stitches, a walking foot, and is very light weight. I can lift it with one hand. It is perfect for classes. I ordered it through Walmart for $179 and used their in-store pickup. I upgraded to a Janome 7700 last year but there is no way I would want to lug that monster to a class! I will keep my little Brother.

I bought a Janome 3160 at the Paducah 2011 quilt show specifically for a class machine. LOVE IT!!!! In fact, I like it so much, I use it more than I do my Janome 10001. The 3160 is fairly light, has multiple deco stitches, is easy to use, dependable, has needle up/down and - the best part - built in scissors! That's my favorite option & the main reason I don't use the 10001 except for embroidery. I found a scrapbooking tote at a garage sale & it carries my machine, accessories & fabrics nicely. I'm in a scrap group that meets monthly & this machine has been a lifesaver. Whatever you select, hope you enjoy it as much as I do mine. Blessings for Christmas.

I got a janome gem and it is light and easy to take to class. We normally just sew straight seam or zig jag and mine will do that I use the machine with the bells and whistles at home. The only time I take my fancy machine is to class that I want to learn something special. They carry it in and out for me so that is a great help.

Janome 3160
 

This one is under 12 lbs. Great quilting machine. Since you are mainly piecing in class, this machine has the auto thread cutter, a must for piecing. I couldn't believe how light weight it was with all the bells and whistles.....especially that cutter.
Diana in TX

Okay I probably going out on a limb here but I bought a little brother sewing machine with a table extension and 77 stitches for $129. I think it's a CS6000. I bought at London Drugs here in Canada. It's light weight and great to bring to class. My daughter loved it so much she bought one.

The chances are that the bobbin case was the problem. Secondary problem could be the bobbins. With Featherweights, just because a bobbin or bobbin case is supposed to fit the machine, doesn't necessarily mean it will.

BTW, I take a lot of classes and some teachers want free arms, feather stitch, zig zag, etc. I take a Bernina 1171, the Quilter's machine. It does everything needed. However, it is heavy, so if I am taking a class that ONLY needs piecing, I will take a Featherweight (Singer 221) or a Singer 301 if I need piecing and free motion quilting. A Featherweight can be touchy about the thread used, and a 301 handles every thread I've given it except YLI. However, 30 out of 32 different and various manufacturers' machines had trouble with the YLI thread in a class I took and some had to go to the repair person.

Cricket