Please recommend me a sewing machine for an 8 year old child

[Geranium879]

DD keen on sewing and this is the only thing she’s asked for for her 8th birthday. I think a very simple one (that she won’t get frustrated with) would be best . She doesn’t need to do any fancy stitching or anything, probably just running stitch and maybe one other… Has anybody got a good recommendation please. I’ll get her some lovely fabric bits and threads too. Many thanks.

This is a collectors item. It may look like a second hand sewing machine but is actually with 10 of most of what you can buy these days!!

would actually make a wonderful gift for an 8 year old.

A friend of mine bought her daughter something similar one Christmas, from John Lewis. Honestly, not fit for purpose. Couldn’t even get it threaded.

All of the above! Cheap "mini" machines are terrible and will break in no time. A basic adult version by a good brand is better. I think Brother are the best, mine is great... DDs Janome had a few issues.

I learnt to sew on one of these! My mum still has it and uses it. Got it at a jumble sale for a couple of quid in the 70s. Wonderful things, work with the treadle pedal at the bottom and the machine folds away into the table.

I know it seems counter intuitive to buy something second hand as a gift but a vintage Bernina machine would be a much better machine. One with an all metal body. They’re practically indestructible and if the 8 year old does something really wrong it can be corrected by a good service engineer. They’ll do a beautiful straight stitch along with a zig zag and probably a buttonhole. If she continues to sew she can keep the machine as a “back up”. There are parts available and almost certainly will continue to be.

please, please, I am begging you. Do not get a modern Singer machine. They are not at all what they used to be and renowned for being poor quality

Agree about modern Singers, sadly.

About the Brother LS14! I bought one. Looked okay in terms of what it does compared to others for a similar price. Unfortunately the presser foot goes from 0-60. Seems to be an issue with this model. No speed setting. I can manage it but DD hated it and won’t use it. I’m thinking of trading it in.

I'm surprised, it gets excellent reviews and Janome machines are known for their quality. Why couldn't they thread it? I've never heard of someone not being able to thread a machine.

I have just bought a new Janome 7025, which may be above your budget, but I am delighted with it.

John Lewis do a similar model which is made by Janome I believe, and fits Janome parts. I think their starting price is just over £100.

happy sewing! I hope it brings her lots of joy

I couldn’t thread it, it was a nightmare. I’m a fairly proficient seamstress but this was not a usable machine.

it might have been child size one, I can’t remember. Nobody in their house could use it so they asked me to have a look.

I think it must have been a child's machine you're talking about. All the reviews (it's available in lots of colours) talk about it being easy to set up, and there's reference to how simple it is to thread.

Here is mine with some items for scale (it's the slightly newer version where the flaps detach) so you can see how petite and clever it is. If buying one you need to make sure it has all the accessories under the lid on top. But yes, that 8 year old will be 11 or 15 soon and sewing up a storm, so you may as well go for a proper useable machine, whether vintage or modern.

John Lewis did sell some Mini machines that superficially looked like little sister to the JL110 (pastel colours etc), they must have stopped as they were universally crap whereas the JL110 is a good and popular machine.