Go to a sewing machine repair and dealer ... look at the used ones. A machine that does straight and zig-zag, and a couple of "stretch" stitches will be enough to see if you like sewing, and will take you through several years of sewing. or many.

Almost any machine can sew thin, thick and stretchy fabrics (silk, chiffon, cotton, jersey, jeans,). It's all in the settings, the thread, the needle size and the seamstress's knowledge.

I'm sewing sari silk, blue jeans, fleece, and woven cottons with an old Singer 237. It does zig-zag and straight stitch.

I have owned 3 Elna machines that were made in Switzerland, am on my 2nd Elna serger, and presently using the mid arm model 7100 for quilting. However, the machines are not Swiss anymore-now being made by Janome. Not familiar with your mentioned models, but if they are current models, Janome has a pretty good reputation, and I am very happy with my 7100. The older models were all metal and truly precision made machines that last a lifetime.

You might get sticker shock but check out Bernina. The low end models will do straight & zig zag without all the expensive embroidery add-ons. Inside they are all metal parts. There are often used models available online or through groups like on yahoo or facebook. Bernina also makes Bernettes which are very basic but not as pricey. There is a website called Sewing Pattern Review that you can join with many sewing machine reviews. You can also ask questions there. I've also heard the Janome are good machines, as Dancinggirl says.

My mom still has her late 1970's Elna, from back when they were made in Switzerland, it's in perfect condition though that's a combination of the quality and the care with which she treats it. Honestly I use a Brother regular machine and am teaching myself how to use a Bernina serger - the one model I would avoid is a White, that's the brand I bought when I was starting to sew and needed to stop borrowing my mom's all the time but it was a bad choice which I should have known given that the price was so cheap.

One thing I've noticed is that most machines will get to a point where they're not running quite the way they should or flat out break on you if you don't use them regularly. So many of the machine repair places are gone now, but if you get your machine occasionally serviced it's protecting your investment (which may be pretty substantial depending on the brand and how many 'bells and whistles' the machine you get has).

Brother keeps switching the numbers. You can check whether this screw fits as well: https://armastore.eu/brother-hsm-xc8563031 (and it's cheaper).

Strawberry Bunny, if you're still looking I would post this same question in at least two other forums. A good one would be Ann's blog with lots of knowledgeable embroiderers: https://community.annthegran.com/Forum/ Good luck.

Strawberry Bunny, you are on the adventure of a life time. Go to your county Extension Office, it will be under your land grant college or 4H and ask to speak to the Family and Consumer Science agent. Sometimes they sew and can tell you which sewing machine companies offer classes with the machine purchase (usually this is a stand alone sewing machine dealership and may be more expensive than a store that does not offer classes). They may also know of 4H educators called master clothing educators whom may give you more ideas for what to look for and maybe help after you select a machine and get home. What state are you from? I hope this helps. I own many machines as I am a master clothing educator and I enjoy helping people learn to sew. Best wishes and keep us posted. My favorite machine is a Bernina, I love my Singer Featherweight and the White machine with a knee control. I use my Brother to go to sewing shows for it is lightweight and I do not worry about traveling with it. I purchased it at an auction from a lady whom never used it for less than $20. I have many machines that I have purchased from auctions to save them from ending up in the trash. I used them all with 4H members. Enjoy your adventure and if you live in Ohio let me know.