I played with grandma's treadle machine (which I have today but no longer use). My mother couldn't sew a stitch but my father sure could. He made clothes for my sister and I on that treadle machine. In high school when I finally got to take home ec for a semester I decided to buy my own machine since I was working at a fabric shop after school. That was 1962/63 I purchased a "Necchi" that I paid about $10 a month for. I loved that machine but it I passed on to another sewer that needed a machine when I bought my Elna about 12 years ago. My dream is to one day have a longarm!!