I have a Janome Jem and have really been happy with it. Weighs 12 lbs.

I have this machine, learned how to quilt on it! It's very low priced, easy to use, since you already have a Brother
Machine this little machine would be perfect!

I love my Featherweights!! Best machine to take along. Keep looking...you will find one. I just found my fourth at a garage sale on Long Island for $25!!! My first three were gifts from mom, my mother in law and a dear friend.

Janome Platinum 12 pounds!
 

I have a small Janome Platinum gem that only weighs 12 pounds, it is wonderful for retreats and sew days. My 'at home' machine is also a Janome (6600) which I love, also. So nice that all the accessories (bobbins, feet, etc) are interchangeable between my two machines.

I would get another Brother so that a quarter inch on it would probably be a quarter inch on your home machine. A lot of projects that I do on my travel machine have to be finished on the travel machine because I can't get the same quarter inch.

at home I use my Pfaffs, away I use one of my 221 featherweights, but if I start on a 221 away I finish on it as to keep the same seam. I love my 221's down to just four now, one black with ex. table one teal, royal blue, and one hot pink. What can I say? I LOVE color! When I go to my retreat I take two, 221"s, my craft tote, cutting matt, iron, and all too much stuff, along with cloths pillow, and a quilt for my bed, all fits in my smart car for two.

I have a Pfaff Passport 2.0 and also a 221 Singer featherweight that I use for classes and sewing groups.
Sharon in Texas

I have a few...

If I'm just going to be doing piecing, I'll usually bring either my Featherweight or my 301 (The FW's "big sister"), depending on which one hasn't been "exercised" recently. Both machines are also great for taking someplace where I don't know people yet, because they will often draw people over and help start conversations.
If I'm going to be doing any actual quilting or need a walking foot, (or don't feel like talking to people about old sewing machines that day!), I will usually bring my Janome 3160

I love old machines and sort of collect them, so sometimes I'll use a class or outing as an excuse to bring whatever newest addition to the family is along so I can get to know it better, but in those situations I usually bring one of my tried-and-true machines in my car, just in case the new guy has an issue I didn't know about. I clean and test them at home first, of course, but sometimes there are things that don't turn up until you've sewn on it for a bit and I'd hate to miss out on a class or gathering because of a machine failure when I have over twenty of them!

I think it was Rob that posted how to set the default setting on the Brother 420 so the needle is always in the center when the machine is turned on. I set mine and it has worked every time. No more having to remember to move the needle!!

I have a Bernina Bernette and I love her!! Just perfect for guild sewing nights and it does just a few stitches. Straight, zig zag, and a couple others. Can't beat it and she was only $200 I believe.

This is my machine to take to class, etc. Love it - it is only 12 pounds (I used to have the Jem Platinum but like the 3160 better). My friend uses it for everything.

I have a 1936 model that I LOVE. I call her Kay, named for the lady my husband bought her from, recently deceased. Kay just purrs and has a perfect stitch. Get one if you can, you will love it. There are lots on eBay, always a risk. There are also dealers that specialize in buying and rehabbing them.

I love taking my Featherweight but then again it depends if you need something other than straight stitching so an Brother or Kenmore elite is light enough weight to take & has other stitches to use. I brought mine at an yard sale and depends on my project, will take one or the other. I'm not familiar with other machines.

I finally bought a BabyLock Molly last Friday. I was going to stick with Brother but I tried the Molly and like it. It's very basic but does everything I need it to do, just nothing fancy. The bobbins and a lot of the feet are the same as my Brother so I don't need to keep my bobbins separate. Another plus is the BabyLock dealer is an hour closer than the Brother dealer--and the BabyLock dealer will service my Brother machines.

Love my featherweights. I have 6 in my personal collection. As we sell them I can give you some advice...A lot of the price is based on the condition of the decals and the year. If you aren't particular about looks you should be able to find one much cheaper. One of my friends just wanted one that would sew, she didn't care about the decals. We found her one for $280.

Love the BL Sofia. It is portable and majorly sturdy and has every modern feature u can think of. Tested one and just could not get over how neat it operates and has every basic embroidery capability as my HViking embroidery machine on a lower scale only in that the hoop size to embroider is smaller.

I have my FWs, the 221snd a 222. They sew mega great and I get a ton of compliments because they sew so quiet and u can FMQ w them too

To be honest, there are so many machines to choose from The vintage ones stand out to me because they operate so quietly.

Best wishes on your search and happy quilting

The Janome 128 is a good travel machine. At about $120, you don't get excited if it gets bumped around. The one drawback I found is it has no carry case. So you might need to make one for all of the things you need to sew.

I know the OP posted this quite a while ago, but since i think others are interested in the same topic, I will respond too.

If I know all I will be doing is piecing, I take my 1950s Featherweight. I bought it for $225 a few years back because the paint and decals aren't perfect, but the stitch absolutely is perfect! It even came with the (very stinky) original case which i dont use. I use a soft-sided tool carrier that has a hard plastic bottom that holds the machine perfectly with room to spare for accessories and even some small projects. It is just so much easier to carry around. I also bought a great seam guide at a quilt show years ago. It is a big piece of plexiglass that attaches to the bed of the machine with adjustable screws. I can set it up as a true 1/4" or a scant 1/4" as needed. It is from Nova Montgomery, and was around $10 when I got mine a number of years ago, probably more now.

When I need to use a non-straight stitch or I need to quilt, I take my Bernina 440. It is much heavier and harder to set up, but it is a great workhorse. However it does have a wide variety of stitches including various ones for applique work.

Pam

actually my janome gem seems lighter in weight than the fw