Sewing stuff

[Soubriquet]

So dd asked me today for sewing equipment and fabric for Christmas so she can make dresses.

She has never shown interest in sewing before so I don’t want to spend a lot of money in case it’s something that will die out again.

I saw they do a child’s type of sewing machine that makes handbags and bobbles so I thought this might be a good start up.

Any ideas?

If she genuinely gets into this, I’m more than happy to encourage it but I don’t want to put a fortune in, incase it’s a passing fad.

Shes 9. 10 in march

Honestly, if you’re able, I would buy a proper full size machine. It will be much more sturdy, and if she loses interest, you can sell it on.

I’d start small with fabric, Aldi do good fat quarters (fabric squares). Kids sewing machines aren’t good, I’d look for a cheap adult one instead.

Hmm. Might have it as her main present if I can find one cheap enough..

I don’t have a clue when it comes to sewing so thank you.

A cheap full-size sewing machine is likely to be better than a kids toy one - they’re usually much more reliable. You could even look on local Facebook/gumtree for someone giving a second hand one away for free or very cheap.

Alternatively, what about booking her some lessons as her Christmas present then if she enjoys it you can look at getting her own equipment for her next birthday.

As well as (or instead of - she could always start with hand sewing?) a machine she’ll need fabric, scissors, pins, thread, hand sewing needles, elastic if she wants to make scrunchies.

If you wanted to share what your budget is I’d be happy to make some suggestions on where/what to get to maximise her chances of success

Did she mean a machine specifically? Has she done any hand sewing? Might be a good (and cheaper) place to start.

My niece had a kids hobby machine last Christmas, I'm teaching her to sew. I agree with pp, a full size one is much easier and safer to use. Also, it's one of those things that once you've got it its handy to have.
There are lots of YouTube videos and books for beginners to get her started.

I bet if you asked on your local freecycle Facebook group if anyone had any scrap fabric you'd get a lovely bundle for her to practice with.

I started my Neice off by just drawing straight lines on fabric, then square spirals on fabric and getting her following the lines , once she's got the basics of how to sew neatly she'll soon be onto craft projects. My Neice is also 9 😊

I'd get her a full size machine. My mum bought me one when I was a similar age, I sew for a living now! (That machine still works too - my SIL uses it. I'm 44!)

Definitely don’t get the kids machines, a cheap sewing machine is far better. I bought a mini one and it was horrendous - it went right back to the shop. It would have put me right off sewing If it had been my first time. A Brother machine from Hobbycraft is a good one.

www.hobbycraft.co.uk/janome-4400-sewing-machine/6014371000.html

Something like this is versatile.

Good quality thread such Gutermann Sew All in a couple of neutral colours - light beige, light grey.

Dressmaking scissors - to be only used on fabric!

Pins

Variety pack of hand sewing needles

And a couple of fat quarter packs of cotton fabric to get started with.

PS once you have a sewing machine in the house, you'll probably find that you use it anyway.

It might be worth looking to see if there are any craft classes around that would let your DD get her hands on a machine to see if she liked it. Perhaps one you could go to together given she is still quite young. (It might be useful to both go as the chances are you will need to learn to thread it for her at least initially.)

I also got my first sewing machine at 9 years old. Agree with PP buy a full sized machine not a toy.

first projects
hair scrunchie
beanie hat
peg bag
pillowcase
apron
pencil case

Start with small projects with few steps to get results quickly. Slowly build up complexity.

I have this machine and it’s a fab starter model.

I definitely agree with PP who have suggested booking her some classes. There are a couple of places near us that do childrens' classes so there will probably be some bearish to you. I bought a sewing machine as a beginner last year and really needed some help to get going with it, even as an adult.

Thank you all. I will bear all this in mind

In a year or two she could be doing textiles at secondary school, she can learn to use a sewing machine at that age. The "mini" or toy machines are useless. Depending on what she would like to sew maybe a book of easy project ideas.

She’ll never want to sew again if you get a kid’s sewing machine, they are awful.

I’ve got my 10yo DD a sewing machine, I’ve bought this one after reading the reviews.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08BZ7NQ1K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I’ve bought some thread & bobbins and some books to go with it so far. I’ve also spoke to hobby craft, they do sewing machine classes.

I’ve no idea if she will keep it up but it’s all she wants and if it get her away from her phone, switch and tablet I’m happy.

Here are the books I’ve bought

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1782491015/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0500650187/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also ask what type of dresses have a look online.you can buy instructions and pdfs now.from Etsy and sewing blogs.

I used to love creating sewing by numbers style kits at this age too.

I would agree the children's sewing machines are not worth the money

Handy thing - a quick unpick thing for remedying mistakes 😁

I do think a toy machine isn't worth buying but I disagree about a mini one.

I started as an adult with a cheap mini machine (think it was John Lewis) and actually it was pretty good for small projects like cushion covers and little bags.

It was no good when I wanted to start using heavier fabrics and do more complex patterns but it was a great way for me to learn the basics without spending a fortune. It was also light and small so easy to store etc

I've always bought second hand - ebay/bootfairs for me because I'm confident servicing them, but sewing machine shops normally have pre-serviced second hand machines too.

Do you have a printer at home? I use a lot of print online patterns these days, but beware of how much paper/printing it takes! They often come with sew-along videos though, which is good for a beginner.

Always buy decent thread - cheap thread gums up the machine, breaks and is generally much more frustrating than a beginner can deal with.

For fabric, which is horrifyingly expensive, consider charity shop bedding/tableclothes to experiment with/for trying stuff out before you commit to buying proper fabric. I've actually recently made a pair of trousers I love from an Ikea linen duvet cover because it was by far the cheapest way to get the amount of fabric I needed.

I agreedont get a kuds machine. However a well looked after second hand one (serviced ideally) would do well. You must have dress makers scissors, good quality thread and new, sharp pins. If she wants to make a dress you could pop to a charity shop and by a duvet cover or sheet for her initial sewing. Such a good age to get started.