Do yourself and her a favor and present her with card stating you will take her shopping for her dream machine. Make it a date. Test drive all of them.

She might possibly like you picking a machine for her - but I'll tell you what, LOL, my DH knows better.

Many machines have similar, if not the same features, but I prefer one over the other. Neither is right or wrong, and many are high quality machines. I just PREFER one over the other. For example, my best friend swears by her Bernina - and I hate it. I love my Pfaff. It's a very personal decision.

And by the way, ALL embroidery machines are computerized (it's just how they work), and all embroidery machines also have decorative stitches pre-programmed into them. I do not find threading any of them difficult, but some have a needle threader which is a boon and a blessing.

I agree with Mary - let her pick the one she wants! I would never attempt to buy my hubby a power tool (unless he told me very specifically which one to get), likewise he would never pick out a sewing machine for me. There are too many variables! LOL Even if two machines have the same features, there will probably be some reason why she would like one and not the other. It may even boil down to which dealer she feels more comfortable with.

Donna

The three brands you mention (Viking IS Husqvarna) are all owned by the same holding company, and every day there is more similarity between models of the various lines. I would say that the Singers tend to be the lower end models, but I couldn't say between the others which is the high end. All are made in Asia these days.

Those brands are a bit iffy to be honest. Why do you want to replace the Brother? Did it break or do you just want to upgrade? What is your price range? I'll include the link for a machine that may be a good upgrade, and can make a better recommendation with a few more details!

Here is a link that might be useful: Brother embroidery sewing machine

Go with either Brother or Singer. They are both popular choices.

Glad it was helpful! You won't find a ton of stuff on the blog yet. Right now I'm loading up on all the boring basics - weekly sewing and embroidery lessons with lots of fun projects will start in January.