Last year my mom gave me an awesome birthday present - a new sewing machine. I love it! This baby is easy to thread, works like a charm, and threads its own needle. As someone who learned on really old machines (like think treadle 0ld) this machine is like a modern miracle.
My favorite thing it does however, is the machine embriodery. Here is a bib I embellished today and gave to my housekeeper for her baby grandson.
So here is some advice from me - if you are thinking of sewing, give it a try. Especially embroidery which is so dead simple. The only hard part is learning your machine.