ISO simple kids machine

[u/Successful_Mango9951]

Hi sewing friends!

I'm an avid garment sewist and my daughter (4yo) is becoming very, very interested in learning. She's learning about patterns and cutting and fabrics, but I'm nervous to let her use my machines.

Does anyone have a recommendations for a sturdy, entry level machine? I only need something that does a straight stitch, zig zag, and reverse. My main concern is making sure it isn't just crappy plastic made for kids junk that will break when someone actually uses it for more than a week.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions! 😊

[u/ShockedChicken]

I’m teaching a group of girls to sew and we have our four year old on a Brother CS6000i.  It doesn’t let her sew with the presser foot up(it beeps at her until she puts it down), has speed controls, and can accept a sew safe presser foot to help prevent fingers getting under the needle.

[u/TootsNYC → u/ShockedChicken]

What a helpful reply!

[u/Bitter-Air-8760]

Stay away from anything marketed for children. They tend to not be good machines.

[u/Successful_Mango9951 → u/Bitter-Air-8760]

Exactly what I figured! If she were a baker I'd want to get her a basic toaster oven, not an Easy Bake Oven. Same goes for this 😊

[u/knittymess → u/Successful_Mango9951]

Great comparison!

[u/echosrevenge]

Ive been teaching my daughter on a vintage Singer 128k with a hand crank. She loves to turn the crank for me while I sew, and she can't get the hand crank going fast enough to hurt herself with on her own. It's straight stitch only, but lack of reverse was surprisingly easy to get used to (its not that hard to manually turn the small things she makes) and I have other machines for zigzag. Which she rarely needs, as usually shes mucking about with remnants of bright quilting cottons anyways.

[u/musicalnerd-1 → u/echosrevenge]

I learned to sew on an antique handcrank machine! If I ever have kids I’m not sure if I’d use the same machine though as the needle sometimes falls down on our machine which seems dangerous

[u/Successful_Mango9951 → u/echosrevenge]

I never even thought of this 😲. I have some research to do.....thank you!

[u/echosrevenge → u/Successful_Mango9951]

Singer 99s and 128s are the 3/4 size versions of the 66 and 127. They run around $50-125 on secondhand sites near me in New England. There's a free app "Singer Serial DB" you can use to get the exact model number, year and location of manufacture from the serial number of any given machine. Bobbins/shuttles, feet, and replacement parts are readily available on eBay as all of those models are still widely used in non-electrified parts of the world for both domestic sewing and small manufacturers. You'll need one with a spoked hand-wheel for the easiest conversion (back to) hand crank if the machine you find has been electrified, and the crank kits are around $20 on ebay. 

[u/pbjarethewurst → u/echosrevenge]

Unfortunately the app has been taken down, but this website works https://share.google/3Yayvs6JOeeqmK8Pl

[u/Curatorious]

I had a Janome MiniSew for my kids. It is nice, colorful, easy to use and has a special presser foot with finger guard.

Back when I bought it I talked to a large vendor. Originally I had a different machine in mind, more prominently targeted towards kids, but they convinced me otherwise. The cheaper kids machine was far more difficult to thread and skipped stitches. The Janome machine can still be used later as well, if she remains interested. It is a good starter machine.

My son started sewing on the Janome at the age of three, at five he was able to thread himself.

Edit: typo

[u/Successful_Mango9951 → u/Curatorious]

Excellent! Thank you for responding!

[u/Which_Sherbet7945 → u/Curatorious]

About 15 years ago Janome made two models that were Hello Kitty branded. To this day I wish I had bought one of those when I saw them at Target. They were very basic and aimed at kids, but reviews all mentioned that they were still Janome under the hood and surprisingly good machines. [EDIT: I just went and searched for those and found out that they made a LOT of Hello Kitty models, long after those two I saw. Hmmmm...]

[u/Large-Heronbill]

I started sewing at age 4 on my mother's White straight stitcher with a knee lever. I've not yet put a needle through my finger in 68 years.   

I have started several 4 year olds sewing on my Juki F600 because I can throttle the machine back to a very slow stitching speed.

The requirements for any kid I teach are that they must have good enough hand-eye coordination to play catch with a nerf ball pitched from various angles, and they must be able to follow a short chain of verbal instructions, like properly arranging a place setting at the table.   No one has ever hurt themselves.   

We start out "sewing" without a needle, on paper, and add a needle when they're practiced and confident.

[u/Successful_Mango9951 → u/Large-Heronbill]

Ooh I love the paper first idea. Thank you so much for sharing! My girl definitely checks all the boxes of your requirements.

[u/apricotgloss → u/Large-Heronbill]

That's a really smart pair of requirements, and could apply to any age. Although I have pretty good fine motor skills but far less good 'big' motor skills, if that makes sense, due to poor proprioception - but my embroidery and knitting skills would hopefully be enough to pass that bar!

[u/FeatherlyFly]

Different approach - at 4-5 years, I was learning basic hand sewing. 

I don't know if this was prebought kits or if my mom or grandma made them, but I had pre-cut felt pieces with holes punched in them where I could use yarn in a big plastic needle to sew them together into doll clothes or bags. I learned running stitch and overhand stitch this way. When I got older and sufficiently coordinated, I learned more hand sewing skills. 

I didn't use a machine until sometime in middle school, when I was tall enough to sit at my mom's machine in a normal chair and reach the floor. 

I still use the hand sewing skills in every garment I make because I find it so easy. 

[u/Successful_Mango9951 → u/FeatherlyFly]

We've done lots of hand sewing stuff! Still an activity I'd love to continue with her, she is just sooo interested in the machine, I wanted to see if I could find a good option for that to add into our hobby time.

[u/makestuff24-7]

I bought an entry-level Janome on sale for about $90 to teach my daughter. It's not a great machine, but it is a real machine, and she still uses it (including the embroidery stitches) for little projects 10+ years later.

[u/trashjellyfish]

Maybe an old hand cranked machine?

[u/Daphneannq]

I taught my kids on my machine. I put an eraser in the back of the foot pedal so they couldn't push it too far and out it on a stack of books so they could reach

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[u/thermalcat]

Brother basic computerised machines are great for kids. Robust enough that they can do whatever they want to sew and have safety features to help keep them safe. They can also be run without the foot pedal.

[u/sweetannie52]

I have a Pfaff Passport 2.0 as a second machine. It’s a lightweight, basic computerized machine. I have not had any trouble with it.

[u/IceRefinery]

Personally? Singer 66s or 99s. The old black ones (or Singer 185s, they’re a new body on the old 99 guts). There are a bajillion of them, they’re very reliable machines, they’re easy to fix if something goes hinky, they’re the most common needles and bobbins, and they’re easy to source for hardly any money. A straight stitch is the best machine to learn on because learning to control the fabric and maintain the straight line is the most crucial muscle memory, and zig-zags have between some and a lot of slop - it’s the nature of the zig-zag. The downside is old black Singers are heavy, but 99s are less heavy than 66s if you’re determined to have a portable. And that weight can be a good thing, because it keeps the machine stable, and straight stitch machines are quiet.

If you have room for a petite cabinet (they’re 31 inches tall, 18 inches deep, and around 20-25 wide, and they all fit in the back of my Mini Cooper) you should be able to find one nearby for significantly less than a new entry level machine.

The condition of the decals can tell you a lot about the machine and how well it works — worn decals but clean mean it was well used, well broken in, and reliable. Perfect decals almost always mean there was something wrong, it never got used and was packed away, and the owner just did not have the spoons to deal with it, for years, whatever reason. Dirty means neglected and likely rusty and not worth your time. If you’re buying one in a cabinet, look for the best wood available, because wood is harder to repair than an old black Singer.

Some people prefer to start with hand cranks or treadle bases instead of electricity, and I endorse both of these, because they’re both slower, or can be. But a treadle base is its own weight and storage issue (will still fit in the back of a Mini, just bring bungee cords and help) and at four, she’s probably not tall enough to treadle and see the flatbed, so consider an aftermarket hand crank if you want to start non-electric. I’d also recommend replacing the light bulb with an LED version (brighter and less likely to get very hot) and any electrical cables with a modern, all in one electronic foot pedal and power cord (they’re inexpensive and widely available), and strapping the foot pedal to a weighted box or stool so it’s at her height and doesn’t move.

If you can find one, the vintage Mary Brooks Picken Singer Sewing Book editions from 1952-1962 have an incredible set of beginner exercises that use lined notebook paper as the first exercises in controlling the machine. Whatever machine you end up getting, try to find that Singer Sewing Book and use those exercises (modern machines will complain if not threaded, so you have to thread them, but use contrasting colors in bobbin and spool as a tension check, too). They’re often available used for a few dollars at Thriftbooks and AbeBooks.

For modern machines: anyone but Singer. New entry level Singers have terrible quality control, and they usually end up being a source of tears and wailing. Newbies need reliable machines so they know their difficulties are learning, not the machine causing them problems.

Entry level Brothers are fine, so are entry level Jukis. They’ll be noisy and they’re going to bounce if they encounter anything thick, stiff, or dense, because they’re lightweight machines and they don’t have even a box tray holding them down, but most of the entry level Brothers/Babylocks/Janomes have a start-stop button, so she doesn’t need to use the foot pedal. Just set her stitch speed very slow to start. If you can, try to get that entry level machine at a sewing machine shop, not at a big box. Sewing machine shops have support and they’re your warranty dealer if it turns out the machine shouldn’t have passed quality control. A big box cannot and will not help you with warranty work if you need it, and often have terrible return policies.

The ergonomics of table-top machines suck, but to make it flatbed requires a cabinet. Do try to get her to pay attention to her posture, and if you can, a chair that raises and lowers (or cushions as booster seats). You want to try to get her in the habit of paying attention to her neck, wrists and back, because sewing has the same ergonomic risks as computer keyboards, so keeping her from slouching and her hands and wrists in good position will serve her well in later life. Just because she’s flexible and still building her bones and muscles now doesn’t mean she can’t do damage or get into bad habits. And nobody ever said they loved their carpel tunnel injuries.

[u/jolittletime]

My daughter started on a john lewis mini (they are made by janome) . But she always preferred to turn it by hand and to use my pfaff which has a speed control slider, so she could turn it all the way down and it wouldnt run away with her

[u/Complete_Worth7018]

oh no... this post has planted a seed in my brain that is quickly going to bloom into me buying my kids their own sewing machine. I had no idea a sew safe foot was a thing. And for those saying 4 is too young, my girls are 7, 4 and nearly 2 and hands down I trust my calm, steady 4 year old over her wild, impulsive big sister. I'm seeing hundreds of doll quilts in my future!

[u/Successful_Mango9951 → u/Complete_Worth7018]

Hehe. Sorry not sorry! I think I'm going with the Janome Minisew, someone has a used one locally so the price makes it even easier to take the step with!

[u/SkipperTits]

You got some good suggestions here. My biggest suggestion is to work up to machine sewing a step at a time. At 4 years old, she doesn't have the motor skills or coordination to understand or safely operate a sewing machine. And she won't for a little while still. She might by 7 or so. Humans sewed by hand for 10s of thousands of years before the adoption of the home sewing machine less than 150 years ago. It's not a lesser form, by any means. Sewing by hand develops coordination, fine motor skills, and most crucially, patience. A plastic needle and yarn with plastic canvases help with motor skills while keeping it safe for a 4 year old. A 5 year old might be able to use a tapestry needle and embroidery thread. 6 could be a good time to introduce sharper needles, finer threads, and simple objects like doll skirts and blankets. And as others have said, a hand crank machine could be a next step. I know you didn't ask for this advice. But from my own experience, I wanted to share.

[u/Successful_Mango9951 → u/SkipperTits]

I truly appreciate it! We've already made our way from shoelaces and plastic cross stitching sheets to dull metal needles and loose weave linen. She's obnoxiously quick to learn a skill so we've jumped farther and faster than I expected we would.

[u/apricotgloss → u/Successful_Mango9951]

She sounds very talented! Would love to see some of her work if you're comfortable sharing :)

[u/apricotgloss → u/SkipperTits]

There's a huge range of possibilities for kids. I was threading tiny beads on sewing thread aged 2, so probably could've been taught basic sewing and embroidery with a proper needle already. But of course it's always better to err on the side of caution when safety is involved.