when my granddaughters decided it was time to start sewing i bought them a brother machine from walmart...for about $90...the best thing about the machine was SPEED CONTROL...i could set it on slow and even when the foot pedal is depressed all the way the machine still goes slow...my youngest granddaughter was 4 when she started...she is now 10, has completed 7 quilts in 3 years and loves that machine....the other 2 girls have moved up to other machines but that first brother is still going strong for the younest :thumbup: