I started sewing in the 7th grade on a Singer Industrial machine. The table that held the motor was large enough that I needed a "booster seat" to reach the sewing machine bed to use it. :)! I am a very petite adult (technically not quite a "little person") and when I was 19, I moved into my first apartment. It was quite small and the only room I had for a sewing machine was a corner of the bedroom. My mother was not about to give up her Singer 401A to me so I purchased a Singer 717 with a cabinet that doubled as a table and a Greist button making attachment. It was just the right size for me to use and gave me a good 10 years of wonderful sewing. I traded it in for my Bernina 930 and as wonderful as that machine is, I missed the ease of using a smaller machine. In 2007 I purchased a Janome Jem 720. It only weighs 11 lbs and can be brought out of the case in a flash when all I need to do is something quick. I know that learning on a "toy" machine probably would not have given me the satisfaction that a smaller "real" machine always has.