I learned to sew on my mom's 1956 or 57 301A SewsExtremeSeams. I still have it and it still sews well. Nothing wrong with learning to sew on a basic older machine. IMO an 8 year old doesn't need all the bells and whistles, buttonholes etc. I'd wait and see where her interest lies. If she mostly wants to piece then the basic machine will be fine. If, later on, she wants to do garments or embroidery then she can get a machine to do what she wants. Let her decide. Mom and grandma don't always know what's best for their kids.
