I had a Janome Gem and didn't like it. Hated the fact it only had three stitch lengths, no carrying handle, and the stitch quality was poor. And this is coming from a Janome/New Home owner for the past 35 years. I sold it and purchased the Brother cs6000i and love it. Actually, I piece on the Brother a lot since it is so light and will fit on a TV tray. The throat is small, but for piecing and decorative stitches for the binding, I don't think it can be beat. Amazon currently sells it for $139.00.