I have a Brother Innovis and love it. Brother and Babylock are made by the same company. I went with Brother because the local company had been in business MANY years and the Babylock store had just opened.

Mine is computerized but not super fancy. For a semi-beginner I would look for a good machine but not splurge for all of the bells and whistles (like 1000s of stitches, embroidery...) The features I LOVE:

Automatic Threading
Drop In Bobbin (No need to feed up)
Ability for needle to stop in DOWN position

I do a lot of home decor sewing and rarely use the fancy stitches and other features mine has on it. I have had my Brother for about 3 years and have been very happy with it. A good machine can run several hundred dollars and up.

You can look at Target or Wal-Mart at some of their better machines; however, the local sewing shops here give you free machine lessons when you buy from them and you can come in anytime for follow-ups or additional lessons.

I am by no means a seamstress, but when my younger DD was nine years old she asked to learn so I purchased a Janome for her. She took a series of lessons and can now sew just about anything she wants, lined--without a pattern! I can't sew a straight line.

But the few times I do need to sew I find myself using her Janome; it's been a good machine.

I've sewn many decades. Fortunately, sewing machines last a long time with proper maintenance. For the long run, buying a machine from a local dealer that is known for good service makes sense. Like others have said, local dealers often offer free classes on how to use the machines. Their sales people usually are experienced sewers and can offer good advice on which machine for what she wants to sew.

If she will ever be quilting, you want a machine that can drop the feed dog (the gripper things that move the fabric under the needle) in order to do free motion quilting. If the salesperson doesn't know about this, they're aren't knowledgeable.

I wouldn't buy more bells & whistles than you need (easy to go overboard with sewing machines). I feel the more options, the more that can go wrong.

I have a Bernina and like it. Most sewers are happy with the known machines: Viking, Babylock, Elna,Janome, Berninas. For some reason, I don't hear as many people buying Singers anymore.

Like lkremodel, go with a local company with the technical support. They will offer free classes with the purchase, and many will, within a year, upgrade the machine for a higher-end model, with full credit for the purchase price. Useful if your DD discovers she really loves sewing and wants more features. I do use my Pfaff's embroidery unit, but only in my small business.

I sew for a living, and have 8 machines at the moment. Pfaff is good, as are Viking, Janome, Elna, Bernina, Babylock.

Singers have gone so far south that I wouldn't recommend them to anyone.

I strongly recommend a dealer with classes and good technical support for a beginning sewer.

As Ikremodel says, don't get one with too many bells and whistles.

'Twas time to dump my (my Mom's) 40 year old mechanical Viking, or so I thought, and therefore bought a new Husqvarna/Viking Platinum 715 last year. Even though I've been sewing for years, that thing is way too complicated for me. There's nothing intuitive about it! It's being a sewing newbie to even thread the darn thing each time I start a project. At the $700+ price tag for the Platinum 715 model, I should have gotten the old one fixed at whatever the cost! I would have been a happier camper.

(Of course, I don't know how to post a picture here either and that may be all telling.) KISS!

I'd buy a used model, pre 1970. You can usually pick them up for a song, the quality of the machinery is wonderful, and they're TOUGH. Make sure you get the ORIGINAL owner's manual and check to make sure the complete accessory kit is with the machine!!

I have decidedly "neo-Luddite" tendancies, but when it comes to sewing machines... let's face it... the basic technology and mechanism hasn't changed much in pretty close to 125 yrs., the only thing that's really changed is how they're powered.

I have 2 White Rotary machines in my workroom. One is from the turn of the century, the other is an "anniversary model". One was powered by a treadle, the other by electricity. Both have the complete attachement kit and the owner's manual. The attachment kit has scroll hemmers from 1/8"-3/4", a pin tucker, a ruffler, a variety of cording feet, etc.. But you can't GIVE these machines away today because they don't have reverse or a zig-zag... . And yet, to purchase the attachements THAT CAME WITH THESE GEMS for a new machine (if they're even available!) you'd have to spend at least as much as you paid for the new machine itself. And yet, these aesthetically beautiful and superbly engineered TOOLS are used as items of DECOR today... their usefulness set aside so they can become plant stands or a dust collecting shrine to some long dead ancestor... sigh. :(

Buy a quality, USED machine. They're inexpensive, they're well made, and THEY'LL teach your daughter what she needs to learn, if she's willing to apply herself. I use my vintage 1983 Kenmore for buttonholes ONLY; and that's if I don't opt for welted buttonholes or handworked ones.

In my opinion, the new machines are overpriced and underbuilt. JMO

I have a Bernina and love it. I have a friend who bought a Brother online from Wal-Mart and she loves hers and it was a great price.

When my 25+ year old singer broke I was almost excited. I went out & bought a Husqvarna that would also do embroidery. Big mistake. It's too complicated, you have to switch components between regular sewing & embroidery and they charge an arm & a leg for the embroidery cards (the sales gal mis-informed me on that when I bought). Anyway I found someone who could fix up my old singer & I'm thrilled to have it back. My Husqvarna is sitting in my storage room. I need to just sell it on ebay. Anyway, don't get her anything too complicated. Keep it simple.

Buy an older one. I had gotten the itch to get a new! improved! model and took mine into a repair shop here in LA (I live downtown, near the garment district). The guy at the shop offered me about three times what I paid for mine, and told me that many new ones are made overseas, have plastic parts and will last maybe 5 years tops.

If you can buy an older Viking, White or Bernina, go for it.

Hmmm... I have one of those "confusing" Husqvarna-Viking machines that does embroidery and sewing. I love it!! I found the support from the Viking ladies to be outstanding and they really got me up and going. I took my "free" classes that came with the machine.

But then again, I guess I'm more techie than others and I like the fact that I can download embroidery designs online and transfer them into my machine with a USB stick. Or manipulate designs on my laptop.

My Viking was expensive, and I doubt that you would toss your daughter onto a machine like this. But I had a friend who just started sewing and she bought the home dec Viking. She's taking classes at JoAnns--it's geographically convenient for her, they have p.m. classes, they give out coupons (both JoAnns and Viking), and the Viking support is awesome. If she ever decided to upgrade, all the feet with her current machine will fit any other Viking machine.

I started out with a Kenmore sewing machine that was basic. I didn't have support for it and any feet that I wanted I had to order over the phone--I wasn't able to go to a shop nearby to "test" them out.

I would recommend a lower-end Viking. I had a great experience and my classes were a lot of fun.

My first big girl sewing machine (after the brother from walmart which I hated) was a Babylock Ellure model that came out a few years back for $999. You can pick them up used for around $400 to $500 now and they're fabulous. It's worth not going too cheap if you can manage it...but do buy it from a local shop with support. My original brother made me hate sewing. I was never happy with it and almost gave sewing up, then found this babylock and produced three homes worth of curtains :) in a heart beat, plus I learned the love of the fun embroidery :)

I have moved up to an Ellaego (I think that's the one I have...I loaned it to a friend LOL and let her open it new so I've forgotten) and plan on using it for more curtains, plus my love, crazy quilting. I'd never start her on this (far too expensive and she might never use the features) but I bet she'd LOVE the Ellure as much as I did :)

I just researched sewing machines for my sister to buy for her daughter. I am a quilter and love my Bernina. The intro Bernina is the Bernette starts at 199. They offer classes with all their machines and good trade in value.

One thing about buying someone else a sewing machine, it's rarely a good idea. It's kind of like buying someone else a pair of shoes. You just don't know what feels right. As unromantic as it is the best thing is to take her to the store and have her test drive different machines to see which one works best for her. Having said that if she's willing to do that she has to set a budget before hand because if her intent is to go in and spend say 500, don't even sit at one of the fancy computerized machines because you'll be sucked in, overbudget or disappointed. The relationship between a sewing machine and a seamstress is a powerful bond. I've been known to pet my machine a time or two.

Singer are made with pretty much all plastic inside parts these days and break very easily. It's cheaper in most cases to purchase a new machine than to repair a Singer.

I learned to sew on my mom's Singer, back when they were well made, probably from the 40's. Then she got her "new" Kenmore, and I bought one also. Did someone say a 1983 Kenmore is vintage? Yikes! I made tons of items on that workhorse, including 2 wedding gowns and several years worth of theatre costumes.
I would definitely recommend a mechanical machine for a beginner rather than a computerized version. My Kenmore was suitable for 25 years, I hear Janome is also great for new sewers.
This posting caught my eye because I just purchased myself a new machine today and I can't wait to begin new projects. I bought a Pfaff Performance on the recommendation of 3 trusted big time seamstresses who all own one. One friend told me I'll feel like I've gone from a horse and buggy to a Lexus- we'll see!

I bought a machine a few years ago after my Viking bit the dust. I paid around $800 for a Babylok. Love it. Then I wanted to get my married daughter one just for repairs, etc. I bought a Janome from Sears, a piece of junk IMHO. Returned it.

Then I bought her a Brother from costco, GREAT machine for the money, it's almost identical to the babylok I paid 4 times as much for. If they have any still grab it and don't look back, they are unbelievable for the money.

Good web site is pattern review, they have machine reviews but these tend to be experienced seamstresses.

BTW being in a time warp, I thought I wanted an old-fashioned mechanical machine like the viking. The computerized babylok (and brother)leave those old machines in the dust, the computerized models are much more fun and do so much so simply.

IMO Bernina, Viking, & Elna are the cream of the crop. It's far better to stick with one of these brands and buy one of their lower models...than to spend the same amount of money for a fancier machine made by a company with a reputation for poor quality.

I would shop for a machine at a quilt store that sells machines or a sewing machine shop. You'll be able to test drive models, get experienced advice, and the machine will probably come with free classes to help her learn how to use the machine. Look into the perks that come with purchase ( x number of years of free service,etc).

There is actually a sewing forum here at Garden Web. The people that post there would be able to help you possibly. However, I think this is a personal preference thing. I have a 1950's Kenmore machine that my grandmother handed over to me that I love and it does what I need it to do. It just depends on what you are using it for and how much and how willing you are to learn about the machine. It might make more sense to buy an older machine or at least a cheaper one if you're not sure if you'll use it much. I know I have a cousin that my Gran said spent a LOT of money on a sewing machine that she has only used a few times and knows nothing about. It's just collecting dust!

Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Sewing forums

I have a Kenmore that does embroidery as well. I love it. But do I use it? Not much. Fabric is like way too expensive. I can not believe how much it has gone up!!

I started sewing on a Viking (Husqvarna) and I had the cheapest one they sold and I loved that machine more than anything. It last a good 11 years before someone stole it (break in).I brought it in 1983 and it was only $150. Back in the day when things were affordable.

When I was growing up, my parents owned a fabric store. My father would buy industrial machines (ugly, but great) from the local cotton mills. We kept the machines at the fabric shop along with an old Singer so that we could sew when there were no customers around.

I worked there on weekends and all summer from age 13 until I graduated and moved away. I often taught folks some basic machine sewing and helped them find patterns and fabrics to meet their level of expertise. My parents gave me a Singer for graduation in 1972 that worked great for 20+ years. I bought another Singer to replace it in the mid-1990s and it was junk -- all plastic.

While I don't have a machine right now, I would go look at the Bernina and Viking lines with minimal frills. I used to make lined jackets and frilly blouses as well as lined, pinch-pleat drapes on a basic machine.

I also agree to go to a really good local fabric/sewing machine shop that provides lessons and can help match projects with level of expertise.

Having the right tools is so important whether it's sewing, gardening, cooking, etc....buy quality that suits the functional needs. I'd rather pay more for something that will last 20 years than to pay less money 5 times over and over again.

Cameron

I sew quite a bit and have a Bernina because my first one was running fine at 32 yrs and counting. BUT I have lots of friends who love their new Janomes. They have some fairly inexpensive models, the Jem?, that get great reviews. Do take a look at PatternReview for reviews by real people who vary from rank beginner to expert level. I would buy from a local shop with a swap policy so she can use it a little and see how it works for her.

Wow, interesting perspectives here.

Frankly? I wouldn't pay more than $100 for a home sewing machine. And I'd be shopping yard sales. There are some CHERRY deals out there. Close inspection reveals them quickly. All the accoutrements are there, neatly packaged. Look for owner's manual and do a scan for the the listed goodies.

I think any company that has minimal/no exposure in the commercial/industrial realm is not worth a second look. Elna, Bernina, Huskvarna... UNHUH! I wouldn't give the sweat from my brow for any of those machines, frankly. I don't doubt they're quality and nicely engineered, but I don't think they're worth the money people THINK they command. A mid fifties- late sixties Kenmore is every bit their equal! and then some.

A "home machine" will always be a home machine. And I've never seen a home machine worth more than $100 when you get right down to the real nitty-gritty.

JMO

What I would NOT do is buy a new cheapie machine, the kind you see at Jo Ann's or Target, or whatnot. I used to work at Jo Ann, and the White machines they sold there were absolute garbage; we took returns on them constantly.

Instead, I would try to get a nice used one, something robust from the sixties or seventies. I have an old, indestructible Kenmore in vomit green and I love it... well, except for the color!

I know that this is not a pretty or romantic gift idea--who wants a used vomit-colored machine???--but it will be reasonably priced and will run forever.

That's my two cents. Good luck with your hunt. :)

I bought my niece a Brother sewing machine from Walmart on Black Friday two years ago. She uses it all of the time and loves it.

I have a Singer from the 50's at home, and I'm looking for a more portable one that I can put in the closet when not in use. I've been looking on Overstock and saw some good reviews and good prices there.

Good luck! I loved my sewing lessons as a kid.

I really appreciate all of your ideas. I think I need to get her a new machine instead of used. It is a Christmas present and she might not appreciate a used machine LOL! I decided I don't want to spend a fortune. Something under $300. I looked at a Janome (basic model I think, it is $299). Also I found this machine: What do you think of it?
http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Brother-CS-6000-Computerized-Sewing-Machine-W-Free-Instructional-DVD/1584141/product.html

Pfaff has a great reputation. Try it and see if it works. Would be worth having a service if you get it. You should find a manual online.