sewing machine for child

[chickenscratch]

Nevaeh wants a sewing machine for Christmas.

 

The one she likes is on sale for $49 at JoAnn's. It is small, made by Singer. It is called Pixie Plus.  I'm not sure if it's worth the money (ie. a real machine) or if it's more of a toy.

 

Walmart has a Brother for $99.00 that is multi stitch. 

 

Since her primary interest right now is quilting and makign skirts, she really doesn't need a ton of stitches, but she might grow into it. 

 

What would y'all do? 

[LisaC]

Hi, Teresa! I am not a fan of cheap new sewing machines; usually they do not run; are not timed and not held up by a factory warranty even though they carry a name brand. Read the fine print to see if you would have to mail the machine someone for repairs. I am a fan however, of buying a good, used, inexpensive machine from a reputable dealer. Your machine will be far and wide better than a cheap new machine. My 50 year old machines (and some older) are better than the new ones. You can find inexpensive older machines and test drive them. Remember, if there is a reason you don't like to sew on it; then  your kids won't like it either.

[chickenscratch]

Thank Lisa.  I have not had similar experiences as you have had.  I have a very expensive machine that sat in my closet for over 2 years because it just never sewed a nice stitch. It went to several different repair places, but nobody got it timed just right.  So, I went to Walmart and bought a Brother for under $200 and have used it for almost three years without a single problem.  It has been used and abused, but still does great.

 

maybe it had to do with the brand of the expensive one, but I won't ever pay close to $1000 for a machine again.

[sewingpup]

umm...tough one...I don't know Nevah or how old she is.....I was pretty rebellious when I was young and knew what I wanted...so I might not have liked not getting the one I had picked out.....but if it did not work very well....I probably would have decided that sewing wasn't for me....ummm....maybe share with her a bit about how you have picked your machines....that you tried them out to see how nice they were to stitch on.....maybe also tell her she can "decorate" any machine she gets by putting decals, stickers on it to make it hers....as an adult, I would chose that one that stitched easy and was fairly basic for a new sewer but that was the best quality I could get...so a used one might be the ticket....I would started with a mechanical one I think..Lin

[CWBowser]

I learned to sew on a featherweight when I was 5 years old. I belonged to a 4-H group. We learned to sew straight by sewing on paper without thread. We did straight lines and circles. I sewed clothing on that featherweight that belonged to my mother. They are work horses and if she doesn't need fancy stitches getting a featherweight is well worth the money.

[chickenscratch]

Charlotte. I hadn't thought of that. I have an old featherweight in the attic. I could take it and get it serviced and cleaned up.  I have another one that is a cabinet model a few years newer. I keep wanting to get that one fixed for myself.

 

She just turned 8

[dancingraisin]

My dear friend also leads 4-H sewing.  Her group is motivated, and the girls turn out some amazing projects.  I second the nomination of a featherweight or similar older machine.  The only thing to watch at first is that she understands how hot the light bulb and its housing get--I got a wicked burn off mine in an ill coordinated move.  

 

BTW, I bought my 20-year-old niece an inexpensive machine that had gotten good reviews from several friends who had that model as a back-up.  (Niece was outspoken about wanting a brand new machine.)  Hers would not sew right from the start and I returned it.

[aleksich]

DO NOT BUY the one at Joann's, it was hard for my niece to use. I had to hold the machine while she sewed. It is to light weight. She never would sew on it at home. She would come and use one of mine. And oh yea, she was 10 years old and had been sewing for 5 years on my Brother UT 1. So she was pretty disappointed in it from the first stitch. Go with an older machine. Good luck.

[Snowflake]

Last summer my granddaughter wanted to learn to sew, she made a small doll quilt using my older machine, and then she wanted to go to "Sew Camp" at the LQS, and so enjoyed it, her mom and I split the cost of a Janome 1050, with the caveat that if she didn't continue, I would get the machine, she still has it and is having so much fun.

[HeidiP]

I love my Featherweight.  It's simple, dependable and comes in a handy case.  

[quiltingjoyful51]

If you have featherweights this would be the best reason ever to service one of them and get her started.  Nothing sews a straighter stitch than all metal 

featherweights. IMHO

[Merryjo2003]

I have a friend who was 3 young children.  She starts them out sewing when they are about 7 or 8 years old and prefers the old Kenmores or other old, all metal machines.  They're heavy and don't jump around on the table.  They run great with minor clean-up and oiling.  I have 3 antiques and love sewing on them all.  They still outwork my new fancy machines and nothing ever seems to go wrong with them.  When I taught a sewing class for 6, 7, and 8th graders, they all preferred my featherweight.  I took in 4 machines, all fairly new except the featherweight, but that's the one they would all try and get to sew on.  Just something about them!

[sewhappy]

Whenever I am asked what machine I recommend I  ALWAYS tell them I love all of my machines but everyone is different and will have different needs so to look around BUT Buy from a shop that will give you lessons, be able to service when needed and will know your machine!!

Joanns, Wallmart,Sears and even Costco have machines but once you buy it you are on your own!! No support except to return it and even that has a time limit~

Try asking the clerk at any one of the stores a question about the machine- You will leave wondering why .....

[RitaR]

You could also check out used machine shops.. or repair shops and have some of the older Models.

[CWBowser]

Please think about getting your featherweight serviced, oiled, greased, whatever. They sew great and if she wants to continue sewing it is an easy machine to carry to classes. I made suits and all sorts of clothes. My mother made slipcovers. It will sew through a lot of layers. We had the buttonholer attachment and could put buttonholes in a garment that were perfect every time.

Instead of buying a new machine go with something you already have. Good luck.

[oireachtas]

Definitely get that featherweight out of the attic! My aunt gave hers to me when I went away to college many years ago. I made clothes for myself and even wedding dresses for friends with that machine. It is still one of my go to machines for piecing. Another great older machine is an Elna 62. They show up on eBay at a reasonable price. My mother in law gave me a used one 25 years ago and I have made everything from delicate French Machine sewn dresses to heavily appliquéd velvet Irish dance costumes with it. The old Bernina's are great machines but pricey. I guess you can tell I'm a fan of old mechanical machines. They sew great, are easy to maintain, have less to break, and I love the way they sound. I even piece on my grandmother's old treadle sometimes. But I bet she would love the featherweight and it's a crime to have one of those gathering dust in the attic. They are such simple machines you might even be able to clean and oil and grease it up yourself. My grandmothers treadle had been in my aunt's attic for 40-50 years when I rescued it. I found enough information online to clean and service it myself and it works great.

[Sharon]

Great topic!  I have a Singer 99K, born in 1917, hand crank for my 7 year old grand daugther, into my local shop for refreshing.  It's a  3/4 head machine, she probably won't sew her fingers together as she is the engine!  It can be outfitted later with a motor when she is ready.  Just my two cents.

 

Sharon

[dancingraisin]

_{Yeah Sharon!  Great idea for a little-est sewer!}