I first sewed on my grandmothers treadle, when I was about 5 years old. She let me try hemming on feedsacks she used for dish towels. Then it was onto electric that mom had, . In 1959 I bought my first very own, a Featherweight! Sewed on that for many years, then bought a Kenmore with cams . The next was a MC8000 that I used for 20 years, until this month when I bought a Janome9700. Love it! I gave the Kenmore to a young mother, and the MC to another young mother who is expecting her second little girl in Dec. She sews, and has a treadle right now so she is so excited to have a machine she can do "fancy" things on for the girls. I still have my Featherweight, won't part with it!!