Speaking of straight stitch industrial machines -- I see them on craigs list a lot for very good prices in my area. Don't know where you live but if you're close to a large city you can probably find one that way if you're interested. (If you do, take someone with you when you go to look at it, as you would going to any strangers house from the classifieds.) Here is a link that might be useful: craigs list link -- you'll need to change the city to yours

treynmama, I have a Janome 1600DBX DO NOT LIKE IT! it Sews horrible on the frame. Off the frame no problem! I have talked with several others that have the same problem. The needle is a pain to put in. it also only takes DB needles....the tension is horrible on the frame, You can not lower the feeddogs you get a plate to cover them. It is also only a 9" throat!.My Janome does not have automatic needle threader and it is a pain! If I had to choose between what you are asking about I would go with the Brother! the brother High speed straight stitch machine with max.1,500 stitches per minute Expanded work area for large projects with more than 6" height and 9" width in the fabric bed area right of the needle Heavy-duty construction for increased stability and penetrating power Up to 7 mm stitch length for perfect stitch lengths or basting Exclusive pin feed mechanism to prevent slippage Knee lifter and optional bed extension table for quilting and fabric management of bulky projects Built-in telescopic thread stand for cone thread usage Full range feed pressure adjustment and 4 feed dog height settings for different fabric weights Tension adjustment dial for different fabric and thread weights Exclusive fabric separator feature joins lightweight linings to materials such as velvets and eliminates the puckering Easy to use foot lift operation-the lower feed dog drops automatically when the presser foot is lifted for easy fabric insertion Removable knee lift enables you to lift your presser foot leaving both hands free for fabric handling The feed dog adjustment knob lowers the feed dogs below the fabric plate for free motion sewing (drop feed control) Exclusive F.A.S.T. automatic needle threader saves time and your eyesight Built-in automatic thread cutter activates with the touch of a button both top and bottom threads are neatly cut and threads are instantly reset for the next sewing operation Needle positioning mechanism lets you control needle up after needle stops down Eliminates the need to manually rotate the balance wheel to lower or raise the needle during a continuous stop and start sewing operation 150 watt motor, 1.5 amps, 2 to 3 times more power than most home portables Optional 12" x 18" extension table is included on the Brother PQ-1500S model Good luck in your search. Red

I have had my Pfaff 1471 since the '70's. When I last took it for cleaning the repairman said Pfaff has always had the finest machines, especially the 1400 series. I agree since I've only had two repairs on it in all that time (replaced the auto needle threader and the foot pedal) besides having it cleaned every 3 or 4 years and adjusting the timing. You might think about calling a sewing repairman and see if he/she has used Pfaff machines to sell (make sure he/she is an authorized Pfaff repairman, not everyone can take care of these complex machines). Buying a new Pfaff could cost a couple thousand but a used one might be just a couple hundred. BTW I've made sailboat sails, done upholstery work, quilting, and all types of clothing on this machine, including about 30 wedding dresses. It can handle everything from tissue silk to swim wear knits to denim jeans. Its built-in walking foot (now called an IDT) is its best feature, in my opinion. I have rarely used the embroidery stitches but the automatic buttonhole settings have gotten a lot of use over the years. It came with 10 or so feet and I have used all of them, to the point that I don't use my serger very much since the overcast foot does about the same edge binding stitch very nicely. Blind stitched and rolled hems are a breeze, and the "needle always down" button gets lots of use on curves. It seems to me that the latest model sewing machines are geared towards machine embroidery. That was never anything I wanted to get into - I just want to sew things together, not embellish them with thread, so a new machine holds no fascination for me, as my old Pfaff does everything I need it to do.

I have the same machine as Donna. It's a little bigger through the throat than most domestic machines and would do well either on a frame or stand-alone on a table. I think a lot depends on what she wants to quilt. If it's smaller quilts (crib & lap) then a Juki (or its equivalents) would be fine. If she wants a frame and to do larger quilts, then she'll have to look in a whole different frame of reference. With that said, a Juki might be a good place to start. That's where I started and Yes, at this point I'd really like a larger throat (think mid-arm), but then I've used this for 9+ years... I've learned a lot since I started. I do think it might be a good place to start until she determines what kind of quilting she wants to be doing (or none at all as the case may be)