sewed by hand as a little kid--my cousin, tommy (an air force pilot, back then) brought me my first "real" machine from hong kong, when i was 7--it was a kid's machine that sewed a chain stitch, with a hand crank on the upper right for a "motor". it worked. my dollies had dresses! used mom's old kenmore (the one that used cams) until i got married. when i had our first daughter, hubby didn't buy roses or flowers (we couldn't afford those)--he bought me a "sewmor" sewing machine from a salesman he met at the gas station hubby worked at. he bought it on "time". it still works. (that "baby" is 41, now.) it was made by the "white" sewing machine mfgrs. after another twenty years or so, he bought me a singer for valentine's day--and i still use that one. i have a janome embroidery machine that is lovely--but that old singer is my buddy, and we understand each other. there was a singer serger i had that got gifted to a niece--she wore it out, and is on her fourth or fifth serger, now. (she sews for her daughter's ballet shows--the daughter is the teacher) i have a janome serger, still in the box after three years. gotta get it out and prove to myself that i'm really not afraid of it... but the old singer still reigns in my heart. and it likes to sew quilts, wedding dresses, quilts, grandkid's clothes and QUILTS!