I went in for a free demo of one of those fancy embroidery machines a few years ago. I think they gave me a package of needles as a "free gift" for watching the demo. It had all kinds of fancy built-in stitches, programs that could be added, etc. But it cost about as much as a good used car.

I don't sew nearly as much as I used to, but I still use my trusty Kenmore machine that I got for high school graduation back in 1980. It has a built-in buttonholer, zig-zag, blanket stitch, and several other versions of these stitches. It still runs great with the occasional cleaning and a little oil.

Back in high school home ec, we used to buy patterns for less than a buck. I almost hate to say it, but I used to sometimes make my own patterns just to save that buck. Hard to believe now - A buck barely covers a spool of thread!