Originally Posted by ckcowl

i would actually talk to her about it---is she really attached to the machine? she may not have any interest in a new machine-
also---would her mother in law be hurt- maybe not-
if you do go for a new machine tell her she should still hold on to the older one- you just never know when you might need a back up-
i have been on both sides of this---actually all 3 sides of this- my mil gave me an old machine years ago when i was sewing my kids clothes by hand- later that year my mother sent me a newer machine- i stuck the older machine in a closet- another year or so went by i got my sister sewing-on the old machine- that old (machine from mil passed around between family members for 20 years- then i gave it to my daughter when she turned 21- and had her own daughter to sew for- then her mil gave her a much nicer new machine a year or so later- one of my neices kids are now using the old-old machine-it is still in the family---we just pass machines around to whom ever needs one at the time- there are no hard feelings- as we could get better ones we did- no one ever expected us to keep on using the old one- the old one was one to keep us sewing until we could get a better one. i can think of 4 different machines over 20 years old that are still being used by siblings, kids, grandkids, neices/nephews- they are excited to get the machine- and as soon as they get a new one they either put the old one away-or pass it on until someone else needs it.