I've Gotten the Sewing Bug

Over the past few months, I've been exposed to lots of sewing machines and have even had the chance to use one, when my son's preschool had a mini-fundraiser.  The fundraiser was a class to teach you how to sew a lined zipper pouch. 

Here she is!

She's even lined!

 Even though I'm not 100% happy with the top corners of the pouch, I still can't believe I made that! 

I sell felt "wrist rockets" in my Etsy shop; these however require sewing.  My first set was sewn by one of my friends, Amy, and I haven't really had a need to sew anymore until just recently.   I'm going to donate a few to my son's preschool, since they are holding a craft fair in December.  Here they are, ready to be sewn:

Wrist rockets

Besides these recent events, I haven't sewn in YEARS. Probably since I was a kid. My mom had an old black, curvy Singer sewing machine similar to this one:

I distinctly remember sewing little socks for my infant brother. They were horribly mis-shapen and didn't fit at all, nor did they stay on, and the fabric was hideous, but I thought they were so cute! And the most important part is that I loved making them.

This has given me the sewing but and I've been researching sewing machines online.  I see some great sales today, like the Singer Curvy 8763 Sewing Machine (reg. 299.99, on sale 179.99):

Is has all of these beautiful scrolling stitches, automatic threader and other fabulous features that I'm sure I'll need. But I'm a beginner and wonder if this machine is too advanced with it's automatic button hole function.

Then I stumbled across this steal:

Singer 1409 Promise Sewing Machine for $59! Marked down from $99.

At that price I wouldn't feel bad about moving on to a better and higher priced machine once I mastered this one, and to make sure that I really do love sewing. But it doesn't have those pretty stitches that I really love. And that is what inspired me in the first place.

One of my friends, from Quetzal Handmade, has the Singer Confidence:

It has that beautiful scrolling stitch that I love so much.  Look at that gorgeous scrolling stitch:

Yes, that stitch alone sparked my interest in starting to sew again.  Thank you, Friend!  

Though I love that stitch and the machine, I'm not sure if it is a little too much of a machine for a beginner or if I should even spend that much on a machine, especially when I'm just starting out.

I just came across a neat webpage which compares all of the Singer machines. Looks like they've been doing it for years. They compared the 2011 machines and give tips for buyers. And one of the main tips is to not buy a new machine for under $100. Sigh. So here I am at square one again. Plus, the reviews on any of these machines sort of scare me. Some are fantastic, but the next review will bash it. Just not sure what to do or buy. I'm open to any suggestions! And the pressure is on because tomorrow is Cyber Monday!  HELP!