Sewing machine for 8 yr old

[Borris]

DD has asked for a sewing machine for Christmas. A quick Google tells me I can spend from £30 - £150. I want one that actually works rather than a novelty, but equally don't want to spend a fortune in case the enthusiasm wanes!

Any advice or recommendations? Thanks

Has she ever had a go? The reason I ask is that a proper one is quite alarming to a smallish child. I have a good one and DD's both fancied a go but it wasn't until my eldest was 14 that she really had the strength and coordination to manage it without fear.

My friend teaches sewing to kids and her machines have all been adjusted so that they only go slowly.

I think I saw a half size one in Lidl or Aldi for about £50. That might be a good place to start! Lots of videos on YouTube to help get started or try a sewing course.

They have kid ones in Argos that aren't too expensive.

And yy to full sized ones being a bit scary at first. So loud!

Are the kid ones in Argos good though? We bought one about 4 years ago for my DD and it was awful! Not from Argos though.

No idea, I got my adult sized singer one from there and it was great. Can only try it I suppose?

No she hasn't had a go. I don't have a sewing machine. I've done some hand sewing with her. Mostly fancy dress outfits and simple alterations.

My mum is a great sewer though. But as dd hasn't tried that's partly why I don't want to spend a fortune

Could you see if there's a sewing class locally and buy her lessons instead to try first, with an agreement to buy a machine for her birthday or later on if she enjoys it? A sewing machine is a big commitment in terms of money spent on fabric, thread, bobbins, new feet etc. Might be worth trying it out first to see if it's something she will get a lot of use out of.

Maybe it would be an idea for her that try one first. I guess there's no long buying a cheap one that doesn't actually work, but also no point spending a lot for her to quickly lose interest.

I might suggest that next time my parents visit that my mum brings her machine for dd to try (with supervision!)

*no point

Might be worth looking at an old fashioned hand crank singer? I've tried electric machines and they frighten me to death, I feel much more confident and in control with my singer. Obviously they're much heavier than a small electric machine, but ime they're much easier to repair if something goes wrong and once serviced the hand crank should run very smoothly and be very easy for a 9 year old to operate. If it turns out that sewing is not for your DD then the resale value should be similar to what you bought it for.

My daughter had the John Lewis mini one a few years back and it was fantastic and really good value for money

(However I have just googled it and seen they are now double what I paid for it )

Sorry, forgot to say I'd look at paying £35-50 for a working machine. They're often sold in charity shops. Very well kept models and desirable patterns etc can go for a lot more, but they stand up to a fair beating and there are plenty of machines that have had parts replaced or were modernised in the 50s (removed from their tables and repainted) floating around that don't have the same collectors value iyswim.

If you're in the north west there's a fabric shop called Abakhans. They do sewing classes especially for kids your daughters age.

As for a starter machine, John Lewis do a really good own brand entry level machine plus have quite a decent haberdashery - although if you live near an Abakhans there's is much more reasonably priced.

I got my first sewing machine when I was 8, the best thing at that age was to be able to set how fast the machine could go and then as my confidence grew I could make the machine go quicker.

I bought my son a Brother sewing machine on Amazon and it was pretty good. Good value too, at less than £80 (on sale at the moment, usually about £90). It has a four-step buttonhole, but he doesn't make many buttonholes so that's fine.
www.amazon.co.uk/Brother-LS14S-Chassis-Sewing-Machine/dp/B07B6KL7VZ/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=brother+sewing+machine&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1541712689&sr=8-4

Good plan to get your mum to bring hers & supervise (have fond memories of sewing with my grandma)
I'd not bother with a kids one if you do decide to get one - many are very poorly made and not designed to last - but go straight to a mid or full size one, John Lewis is a good place to go & look at them, their own brand ones are very good and do come in a funky range of colours.