If you don't have the big bucks to spend on a longarm, your best bet for a first quilting machine is to find a Singer 15-90 or 15-91. I've seen them offered for free or almost free on craigslist.
Replace or re-wire the motor ($20 & $70, respectively) and replace all the electrical components (power cord, foot control, light) for about $50 and clean the machine thoroughly.
And with this small investment of anywhere from $70 to $200, you will have a fabulous machine for piecing, free-motion and machine-guided quilting.
It takes standard low shank attachments, a class 15 bobbin and the 15X1 needle. Beautiful stitches, easy to maintain and easy to operate. You really can't go wrong with this model. :)
There is a lot more room under the arm of a 15 than there is in most modern domestic sewing machines. I regularly quilt queen and king-sized quilts on mine. I like feathers and loops and vines and tendrils and hearts and flowers - you're not at all limited in what you can do with FMQ. :)