Well, I'm glad to see I wasn't the only one who has a quilting day from hades. I discovered what the problem was. You know how spools of thread have that little slit in them to hold down the edge of the thread when they're new? Well, sometimes when you try to break the thread loose to start it, you open it up into a gap. I always try to remember to place that edge up, and not down at the bottom of the end off which the thread feeds into the machine. I didn't when I replaced the spool of thread. Then I got to wondering why it wasn't an issue yesterday, but was today. It's because there is a lip at both top and bottom of the spool and when the thread is getting low, it drags the thread strand over this lip. This morning, when the feed would seem to catch, and the stiches were not even, it was that strand of thread getting caught in the slit in the spool. It yanked hard enough to break a needle. I simply turned the spool over and all was back to normal. sigh.

marti8a- I have a Pfaff Quilt Expressions 2048. It sews beautifully, but only has a shorter throat & one light. The replacement was the Quilt Expressions 3.0 & more expensive 4.0 which has had some sort of computer problem, which I believe upgrades fix these earlier problems. I bought the 2048 at a tremendously discounted price because it was no longer the current model.I am very happy with it. Using a single hole needle plate improved the stitch quality, and takes care of the need to use leaders. The wide slot in the needle plate is what causes the fabric to jam in the beginning. The wide slot is required for the decorative stitches. I read your other post - you really cannot compare the low end $200-$300 range to the upper end machines. My Pfaff dealer and I talked about this last week. They are trying to capture the market share they are losing to the "Walmarts" by offering entry level machines that are made elsewhere to be competitive. I don't think you are comparing them, I just wanted to encourage you not to keep the cheaper machine you bought on impulse if it does not fit your needs. I guess I'm trying to say your buyers remorse is justified. Hard decision.

Oh dear, you had to mention the Brother PC 420... don't get me started, please :o) I just measured mine and it IS 7.5 inches from the needle to the right inside part of the harp area... and 4.5 inches tall. Below is a picture of my Brother side by side with my Bernina so that you can see the size difference of the harps (I call it the arm pit LOL)... can you see how much more open the Brother is? The Brother PC 420 is the one on the right... Anyway, I've had this machine since 2009... I got it as a 26th birthday present to myself and I've loved it since day one... And I paid 500 dollars on Amazon for mine, the price has gone down 100 dollars. It's one of the few machines in the price range that gives you knee lifter, automatic thread slicer, and adjustable presser foot pressure. It comes with a walking foot, zipper foot, button attaching foot, one step button hole foot, teflon foot, patchwork foot, zig zag foot, open toe foot, free motion foot... it has drop feed and a perfect needle threader that works with one finger, the first time, every time. The bobbin thread doesn't have to be drawn up to start sewing, it has stop start, needle up down, sliding speed control that can also be set to be the stitch width control... It never gets a bird's nest or has messed up tension at all... truly a remarkable machine for the money! The only things I had to buy for it were a quilting guide bar for the walking foot (but it came with the walking foot), and a quarter inch foot with a guide, and extra bobbins. I tried to quilt something just the other day on my Bernina and I had to revert back to the Brother because it had a bigger harp, so that is definitely something to consider... not only the width, but also the height makes such a difference... the height of the Bernina is a full half inch smaller than the Brother and it may not sound like much, but in practice, it makes a pretty big difference. There's even attention to detail on this machine... there's a ridge on the top of the hand wheel so you can always tell when the needle is in the highest position just by looking at or feeling that ridge. There's also a clear coating on all the buttons on the right side so the graphic doesn't wear off over time. I lent it to someone at a retreat a few weeks ago and 3 people commented on how smooth and quiet it ran.. they couldn't believe Brother made such a lovely machine and these were people who had Vikings and Janomes! OK, I think I'm done with my plug... I just wanted to extol the virtues of this wonderful and underrated machine since I've had and loved mine for so many years. You can get all the same features in other brands, but you'll pay a lot more for them, and there's nothing wrong with this machine! The only thing I don't like is that the needle defaults to the left position, so if you're using a quarter inch foot with a single hole, the needle must be centered first... I've broken more than I care to admit by forgetting that step. Good luck with whatever you decide (let us know!)... If you have any specific questions about the PC 420, let me know.

There are a number of machines on the market that have wider throats. I use a Juki for quilting on my frame. It has a 9' throat. It only does straight stitch, but it does it very well and very fast! Other brands have larger machines (Brother, Baby Lock, etc.) but they tend to have lots of bells and whistles and a $$$ price tag. Other brands out there include Janome, Bernina, Viking and Elna. You may also be able to find a used one at a local shop or on Craigslist. You'd be looking for a "mid arm sewing machine". Donna