I used my Mother's treadle singer when I was little. She eventually got a portable Phaff that I used during my teen years. My first machine was a protable Singer when I was 20. It was blue and I loved that machine. It sewed beautifully and helped me make some nice clothes for work. When my kids were little I bought another Singer with a few more bells and whistles than my original. It still sews well. However I decided to get a new machine about a year ago when I started thinking about quilting. It has many built in stiches and so far has been doing a good job on my sewing.