I purchased my Bernina used on ebay. $800, 5 years ago...could have gotton a top of the line Bernina for that on CL.....didn't want to buy long distance tho. :0) It monograms and you can download embroidery or use ones already loaded. You can ask how many hours are on a machine, it will tell you. I found ones with less than 100 hours being sold as used....:0) I've done everything from upholstery to sewing the crotch seam of denim jeans with mine. I was told if you sew a LOT, a machines head lasts about 25 years. Then it's pretty much worn out. My old Kenmore was 25 years old and the needle would be out of alignment every time I went to use it. I do at least one BIG project a year and was paying $80 each time to get the needle aligned. I went to Walmart, purchased a Brother, it lasted about 6 months. Something plastic made a crunching sound....now it's hosed. :0)The local repair shop said they won't touch a Brother, all plastic junk. :0)

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.

I think your best bet would be to check with a shop that sells upholstery fabrics.They usually have lists of people that do that sort of stuff.At least the ones down here in s.Calif do.They usually don't recommend anyone person,they give you the list and then it's up to you to check them out and see what kind of work they do,get references and that sort of stuff.HTH. Kathi

Tania, Have you tried using a different/new needle, say one for only wovens, or a different size needle. Have you checked your tension? It sounds like you bought a middle of the line machine so you should be getting good stitches. Don't underestimate the difference the needle can make in your stitches. I like using rayons for applique,nice sheen and add a lot to the look. Good luck.Aline