Anyone with experiance on the Brother Innov-is 40 Project Runway Limited Edition? Consumer Reports just gave it a best buy in 03/09.

I think I would ask who makes Brother machines. I know the Viking dealer here also sells Brother and Singer. I have Viking, Bernina, SInger and Kenmore. Out of all of them I love the Bernina the best. I can go from sewing heavy material to sewing a light weight bastiste without changing a thing. I know I should change the needle, the thread and the "stitch advisor" (VIking)...but not on the Bernina. If you can list the Singer on Craigslist or in the paper or at your local Extension Office. 4H starts soon and that beginner sewer may just love your machine. I let my beginners use the Kenmore and the Singer to take home and use to get the projects and they love them. Have fun

I've had lots of used machines over the years, but I love my Bernina 1260. It's a work horse and that's just what I wanted. I took DH with me to to take them for a test run and had him listen to Bernina Bob (sadly he retired shortly after I purchased my machine) talk about the inner workings. I can mend sleeping bags and snowmobile suits and make prom dress. I've done lots of home dec as well. It's the best machine I've ever owned.
Good luck in you quest.

Sduck - I just recently purchased a Brother Innov-is 900D. So far, so good. You can only get it from a authorized retailer. I would say it's a beginner to intermediate machine. BTW - Brother makes Brother machines and they also make BabyLock. Good luck with your decision! It wasn't an easy one for me... price is was drove it.

Consumer Reports lists the Pfaff machines as being the best buy for the money. Make a list of what you want to sew (now and in the future) so you will know beforehand what features you want in a new machine and take that list with you when you shop. Also, don't be afraid to look at secondhand machines - they can be a good buy and should be tuned up and sewing perfectly before being offered for sale. Many dealers will give you a warranty on a used machine too!

I'm a Viking person and can speak from experience about their performance, construction, and ease of use. I love my Vikings!

Teresa

Thanks everyone. I'm off to visit sewing machine stores with everyones advise. I've heard a lot about the Bernina and if I can afford a good machine, that might be the way to go. I'll probably have it forever. (thats how I talk myself into spending the money) I'm also keeping an eye on ebay and Craigslist. I don't want to rush into it like I did with the Singer. The first store doesn't carry Viking or Brother, so I might hold off on buying until I see them all.

Thanks again.

Take your time and watch for sales on the models you like, like cars there are new machines coming out all the time and when you find your dream machine, it might be worth your while to wait and see how the prices go.

My Bernina is over 20 years old and has never been in the shop and has made hundreds of garments. They are wonderful.

I went to the sewing center in town which did not carry Brother or Bernina. They carried all names that were new to me and all for over 1K. I used my handy GPS to drive another 20 miles only to find the Bernina store is no longer there. I felt like the commercial with the avacado refigerator. Next time I should call first!! Does anyone know of a sewing center in MA? I'm right outside of Boston but will drive.

I have a Bernina 1230 and love it. I hope you can find a good Bernina dealer with a good used Bernina Model 801, 830, 930, 1130, 1230, 1260, 1090, 1080, 1030..... I think you would enjoy any of these.