Quote Originally Posted by Whidbey78 View Post
A lady a few doors down has a machine in her basement that she says I can have if I go get it...
If it's a treadle Singer that belonged to her grandmother, take it.

I was allowed (carefully) to use those as a child, and drove a modern machine very briefly as a teenager. My wife gave her Singer away about 20 years ago. All my experience is strictly amateur.

A couple of years ago, we acquired an entry level (~ $100) Singer from Target---I believe it was exclusive to the chain. It's fairly simple and straightforward, and it's mechanical. It works well for my needs, i.e. straight and zig-zag. I'll try a buttonhole one day, I'm sure, at least for fun.

I decline to try more than 4 layers of khaki-pants type material with it!! It sewed the front/outer waistband seam on my Xkilt, but I did the inside by hand. I didn't think it (and I) would be accurate enough to "stitch in the ditch," and I didn't want to tear it up on its first project.

If you're not doing Carhartt weight fabric, it might do the job. I've enjoyed mine. I probably would have done well to search a local repair shop for used machines, but this one was sort of a gift from SWMBO.