I started sewing on a Singer treadle machine and could make anything. My father bought my mother a White electric machine and I ALWAYS had problems with that machine which turned me off of sewing until I was about 12 years old. At school we had really good machines (for that time) and I developed a love of sewing. All that is to say...junk machines kill the desire to sew. Buy something good, reliable and easy to use with options that can grow with the sewer's interests. Good Luck and RELAX when you are teaching her!