Maybe it's just me, but if my introductory to quilting was hand stitching, I doubt if I ever would have learned to quilt. I also think that a single stitch machine is all that is really needed for most jobs. Access to cheap machines are plentiful. If transportation is someone's problem, then shopgoodwill.com should do the trick. Also, simple machines are plentiful on that site. I have purchased a few and have had good luck. I also think if your aim is to teach making quilts, it's the fabric that's going to do you in if your on a serious budget. But of course, maybe it's just me. To me, the machine makes it the fun part.