Thank you for all your info. I will keep it all in mind when I actually start looking. My current sewing machine is a bernina and I love it so I was gravitating to the bernina. My bernina dealer does not sell the stand alone embroidery machine. I am buying a newer bernina, I should say my wonderful husband is buying it for me, and have decided on the bernina 440QE. My bernina dealer does not sell the stand alone embroidery machine so they are trying to talk me into the embroidery option on the 440QE. The second dealer in my area no longer sells bernina's. They have gone to the Janome 350E. He also didn't have any, they were on order, for me to try. He said it was equivelant to the bernina embroidery machine. I would really like to try them both before making a decision. I didn't think this would be so hard. I am glad to hear you also prefer the stand alone, I was beginning to think it wasn't such a great idea. Quilting is my first passion but I really think I would enjoy the embroidery since I now have young grandchildren.
G.