I teach quilting at a local museum and I have one lady that ONLY does hand quilting - making the block to quilting. She's afraid of the sewing machine and she does beautiful work BTW. I would also suggest a Brother from WalMart as a beginner machine. But if you could find an older machine at a thrift store for $20 it would be even better. Just check to make sure it really sews before you take it home. Take some thread and a piece of fabric and maybe a needle to test.