Originally Posted by
quilterpurpledog
You have some good recommendations here. The most important thing is to buy a machine that will not 'give her trouble with thread and tension issues'. I made my first wearable dress when I was 9 years old. Prior I had made pillows, little quilts, doll clothes, etc. Because I did not have bad experiences with machine issues I never looked back with sewing and have sewed something most every day since. Can't believe that it has been more than 70 years!
Absolutely agree with this. The first machine I bought for myself was brand new. It gave me so much trouble with tension and no power to sew anything that I got so frustrated and stopped sewing for probably 15 years. I finally picked up sewing again after I found a Singer T&S at a yard sale for $20 which included the table and everything in it (threads, scissors, zippers, buttons, sizing.....stocked full). I thought "why not?..." I bought it to try again, and absolutely LOVED that machine...I could sew through anything and never had any tension issues. That machine got me sewing again, and I used it until I blew the motor out. I have been happily sewing ever since.