Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Let me premise this recommendation with the fact that I have been sewing for over 25 years as a hobby. I own my own machine, a Kenmore. I am an engineer who found my love of engineering through my love of sewing. My 10-year-old son has been asking me for over three years to give him sewing lessons on my machine, so I bought him this machine for him for Christmas. This is a lovely machine, well made, and sturdy. This is not a machine that you should buy if you will not have someone who knows about sewing to assist you. This is not like buying a Nintendo DS or a Wii, which are items that are intuitive. The instructions to thread the machine and the bobbin are substandard. We successfully thread the machine and bobbin because they are identical to my Kenmore. If you have never thread a machine before, be prepared for directions that are confusing. If you have some sewing experience under your belt and you can get past the threading of the machine, you will love this machine. If you are buying this for a novice, make sure you get a tutorial book with exercises that the receiver can perform on paper first. I got my son several kits of projects that he can sew for himself (a pillow, mittens & a scarf), but he cannot start on those projects until he has mastered all of the examples in the beginner book. He thought that sewing was easy and that he could make all sorts of stuffed animals, etc. right away. He now has been made aware that mastering sewing starts with a good machine, and practice, practice, practice before you can really make anything. It is a good thing to start on paper, not only because it is good practice but also the machine has been oiled and some of the residual oil will come off on the bobbin thread as you start sewing at first. Please do not use anything you value on the machine until the oil residue goes away (about 1 foot of stitches seemed to do the trick). Also, make sure you understand how to use a sewing machine safely. My son now understands that this is a powerful machine and the needle can go through your finger easily. If you are buying this for a child, please do not let them figure out how to use this on their own. It is like a power tool, so treat it as such. This machine is less expensive than a professional model, but still is an investment. I am looking forward to my children using this for many years to come.