irishrose

A Singer 301. 17 pounds of wonderful straight stitches and FMQs beautifully. AnnieRose has 58 years of sewing and is still going strong. I haven't sewed with her backup yet, but ErinRose is even older and sewed well in her trial run. A 301 even comes with a handle on top.

I recently bought a Singer 404 for $5. It sews well after a good cleaning, but I'm not sure about FMQ because it has a horizontal bobbin. It doesn't matter. I only bought it to leave at church and I don't do FMQ there.

asabrinao

I test drove a Janome DC2030 that I almost bought. I went with a Juki instead because, in the end, I was really looking for a stay-at-home sewing machine that had a good size harp. If I was looking for a portable machine, though, I probably would get the DC2030: it had a good number of stitches, was only 11 or 12 pounds, and was super quiet. I gathered opinions on this site about the Janome DC2030 and one woman wrote to me saying that she kept her Janome 2030 in her car permanently for sewing classes and retreats. She really seemed to love it.

Good luck with your search and let us what you decide!

Dolphyngyrl

I hear awesome things about the babylock anna. Its not cutesy to look at, my dealer raffled one off and quite a few ladies in the crowd said they really loved their, so I thought it must be great if they love them.

amcatanzaro

I swapped from a Brother CS6000i to a Janome DC2010.

Now I have a herd of vintage machines I prefer. The Janome does work awesomely I found that old Singers (I mostly use a 201, not lightweight) do far better piecework then any of the above.

nanna-up-north

I bought a vintage machine for a backup years ago..... now I have about 16 vintage machines and use them all the time. The fancy expensive Viking sits in the corner because the older machines do a wonderful job for me..... and I can fix whatever goes wrong..... nothing goes wrong much..... love sewing with vintage machines.

I'd suggest a Singer 221 (featherweight) for mobility.

Blackberry

I would suggest a Singer Featherweight but they are a little on the expensive side. However, they are just the right size for taking to class and sew wonderful straight seams. I also have the Singer 301 in both tan and black and they also are light weight enough to easily carry around. For a new machine I have the Brother CS6000i which I dearly love again for its light weight and great quilting accessories that come with the machine. Everyone has their favorites.

mom-6

My primary machine for many years was a cheapie Brother machine from Walmart. I have now passed it on to a friend who did not have a machine.

I now use my Featherweight almost exclusively. And it would be my choice for transporting anywhere I might want to go.

My "backup" machine is a 1970s model slant needle Singer in a cabinet that I've also had for about 15 years. Since I replaced the bobbin cover on it, which had gotten lost somehow, it now works wonderfully. While it had the temporary replacement bobbin covers made out of whatever was handy I had major tension issues with it (wonder why???). Lol!

laynak

I bought a Pfaff Passport and like it alot. It's lighter and smaller than my Babylock. It's easy to travel with and even stays upright when it's in the trunk and I drive around corners (the Babylock would sometimes fall over).

Lori S

One thing to consider is being able to interchange your bobbins and your feet. Having a second machine is great... but if you need to purchase more feet it can get pricey in a hurry.

Craftnut

I got my Featherweight at an auction, great place to get one for less than they go for on the open market. Also, in another thread I mentioned White Crafter's Friend, a Janome Gem style machine that is less expensive. I didn't realize they aren't made anymore, but I found one at an auction that sold for $15. I love my Gem, but it is a bit pricier than the Wal Mart machines. The reason people advise against the Wal Mart machines is it is difficult to get them serviced. Brother machine dealers refuse to do warranty work on them so you pay a high rate to get them fixed if they crash.