What do you do when your sewing machine packs it in?

Getting over the trauma!  I recognize in the scheme of things, it's not a major deal but, that said as a sewer my sewing machine has become an extension of me.  I bought my Pfaff in the late 80's - at the time it had all the bells and whistles and cost a fortune - nearly Stg£700.  I has done me proud over the years, partnering me in many projects.  It started misbehaving just before Christmas - skipping stitches and things like that so I left it in for repair.  It worked for a while when it came back to me - for long enough for me to complete the little cushion project and start work on a large quilt then the problem re-occurred.  I had been warned that if this happened it would be more cost effective to go buy a new one.

So now, I'm in the market for a sewing machine.  Not sure what to buy.  Do I go for another Pfaff (I was told they are no longer as solid as they used to be - now they are mass produced in China).  Mind you, that came from the Bernina salesman ...

Functionally speaking, there is so much choice these days, it's very hard to know where to start.   For instance, I want a machine that will tell me when my bobbin is running out... thought this would be a simple (and cheap) request - only I have now discovered that I can expect this only from the highest end machine in the Bernina range!  This is going to be some challenge.

In the meantime (to keep me sane and sewing) I popped into my local Lidl and bought a cheap one - it does the simple jobs and will give me time to look around.

What did you look for in a (modern) sewing machine?  What's essential these days.  Any input will be welcome 

Never knew that choosing a machine would be such a complex business!  In my research, I happened upon a fantastic review website that helped greatly.  http://sewing.patternreview.com/  It's jam-packed with machine reviews - nearly 5,000 of them.  Easy to navigate too.  When I scanned through the reviews on specific makes and models, I was quickly able to build up a profile of features which did not work as advertised (Manufacturers' brochures are great but they don't exactly point out problem areas :(  ).  On this site, you quickly get a handle on the real problem areas - users reporting like experiences.  What I found interesting was that I could quickly match these with some of the really 'special offers' available - dealers offering the machines at reduced prices and throwing in so many extras any prospective purchaser would think all the birthdays had come together!

Having spent the last while trawling through brochures (and reviews!).  I have found my dream machine.  Janome Memory Craft 6600P.  Tested it yesterday.  A real workhorse and very heavy, so I won't be carrying it around with me.  Also, it doesn't have a free arm but I can live with that, no problem.  No relationship is 100% perfect but I can certainly live with these issues.  The deal's nearly through and I'll be collecting it shortly.