There are so many machines out there, it's like a giant maze. I would buy some sewing magazines and get a nice card and write a note to her telling her that her gift is waiting at the store for her to pick out. That way she can test drive them, and decide which features she really wants. Each machine has it's own features, number of decorative stitches, auto thread cutter, auto threader, low bobbin warning and the list goes on and on. One of my friends received a sewing machine last year for Christmas, it wasn't the one she really wanted, it wasn't even the brand she had hoped for. Unfortunately the store would not let her return it and they had nothing she liked in her price range.