Originally Posted by TonnieLoree
Wow! That is quite a challenge. Maybe you could find a used one for $50 or so bucks since you don't even know how to use one. For a beginner, having all the bells and whistles could be confusing. The simpler the better. There is much to be learned about tension and sometimes that gives even the most experienced sewers fits. When you do out-grow that one, it could be resold and you would probably be able to re-coop that minimal investment. I would hate to see you become discouraged because of your lack of knowledge. Good luck to you. I'm not trying to discourage you in any way. I wouldn't jump out of an airplane just hoping that the size of my parachute would compensate for my lack of knowledge. :-)
I agree with buying a good used machine for little $$. There are tons out there either on Craigslist or even at your local sewing machine dealer. Those may even have limited warranties available for a short period of time. If you want to do basic garment/home dec sewing as well as quilting, even just a basic straight stitch only machine will serve you for quite a while. If you get a machine with a few other stitches (zig zag, etc.) you could always keep it as a back up when you're ready to upgrade to a fancier machine. Many a quilt (and plenty of garments) was made either with no sewing machine or very basic ones.