Fizzle

I bought my 11 year old granddaughters Bernette Sevilles last Christmas. So far so good!

KathyM

I got my GD a Janome 124, she is 7. She likes making doll quilts. Nice basic, only thing it doesn't have a light.

quiltingshorttimer

I've bought 2 of the cheap Brother machines from Walmart for my daughter and DIL (my DIL doesn't sew at all and my daughter has since upgraded to a lower end computerized after sewing on my nice one) and the Brother is fine--sews nicely, does both straight and zigzag, has a built in button hole and is not computerized so easy to maintain--I've pulled on of then totally apart oil, etc. Also fairly light weight and cost about $80-90. I bought my grand niece a Janome Jem for about $50 on sale at Hancock's because the little Singer youth machine I originally bought her did NOT sew--the Janome is nice, lightweight, etc. I'd buy either again.

IBQUILTIN

Brother sells some very nice inexpensive machines that are very user friendly Great for a class machine, or a newby sewer

cashs_mom

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.