Sewing Machine Recommendations?

This weekend, I had big plans to break out granny's sewing machine and complete some skirts from Sew What! Skirts, but I was foiled. Following the directions I easily took my measurements and cut my patterns, then cut my fabric, but when I sat down to use the sewing machine, we just were not connecting and I ended up packing it up in frustration.

It is an older machine, but granny told me my brother had recently cleaned it and it should be up to snuff but I don't know, not to mention it is slower than molasses in the spring time. Plus, the buttonhole directions either were not making sense or I was not following them properly, but I had a button "hole" in the formation of a lazy "S."

I'm throwing in the towel and saving up for my own machine that has a simple stitch and ability to buttonholes. If you have any recommendations on sewing machines, let me know! In the meantime, I think I'll offer to watch my friends' dog in exchange for using her zippity fast machine!