I didn't realize I would miss sewing so much. The Elders found the little machine on the left in their apartment and thought it would make me feel better. A friend here was in touch with a lady that owns a tailor shop and occasionally has machines for sale. We were able to buy the machine on the right for 35euros. The lady said it was very sturdy because it was built in the DDR. If heaviness is the indicator to sturdy then, yes, it is very sturdy. Hopefully we'll be able to find a fabric store that has more than 5 bolts of fabric to choose from.