Take her to shop and let her try this machine and some others and let her decide which machine is her! When I was 14 I wanted a machine that was better than my mums old singer (my mum was more of a knitter than a sewer) my dad got me a Frister & rossman which was about £350 at the time (1975) a lot of money prob bout $500,I used this machine constantly even started my wedding dress business with it, until I could afford to upgrade it, which again good old dad helped with. I say go for it and encourage her the way my parents did me, who knows where it will take her.