It all depends on what her sewing goals are. For my DD who is more interested in making quickie clothing projects and occasional mending, I got one of the basic Brother machines from Walmart for under $100. And that will do a whole lot more than she expects to need, but if she decides to do more, then it will still be good. I had one like it that I had used for several years then passed on to a friend since I was using my Featherweight more than that one.