Good or Bad idea...sewing Machine for a 9.5 Year Old Girl?

I think it is a great idea - especially with lessons!! She will love it for years to come. My sister in law quilts and her 8 year old can now quilt too!!

I agree - don't get a kid machine - you can get a Brother sewing machine at Walmart for around $50 - it will be a great beginner machine.

:)

I think it's a great idea! I make custom clothing for children and my daughter always wanted to help! So I got her a kids sewing machine it was like $50 (you can always by her one of those or a compact or cheaper singer) and she does great. My daughter is only 6!

Just found this one for you try Walmart or Walmart.com. It is a brother $59.00 has pink and purple flowers and full function one. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=1208...

Here is a list of Walmarts: http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_query=s...+

HTH

E.

It's a brilliant idea. Possibly the two of you could learn to sew together as a bonding experience of mom/daughter. But don't get the kiddy machine they are not worth it. I would go with the Kenmore machine. Just think it will be handy for both of you for mending the repairs in the pants and the hems on the jeans as you have several children. I learned to sew at an early age by hand and this sure beats that. Once you learn how to sew you can make so many things for yourself or family and no you will not see yourself coming and going in the clothes that are on the market today. Besides she might be the next new fashion designer - there's one from Russia that is 15 years old. So let her sew and sew and sew. Good luck and happy holidays. The other S. who has a 32 year old daughter that sews occasionally that is single for now.

PS If you can't afford the Kenmore, then get the Brother at the big box store but once she gets better, get a better machine as an upgrade to her skills.

I started sewing when I was seven and have not stopped in fifty years.
A machine is like anything, you have to know how to operate it, I don't think there are many machines that you can use without caution

By her a machine from Walmart to start her off
make sure you keep your reciept that way if it breaks they have to replace it.
As you guage her interest you can upgrade to something more expensive later.

I teach sewing classes at several rec centers in Collin County and richardson and Garland

i think it is a brilliant gift. my mom gave me one when i was young, i think i was 10 and it was one of the best gifts i have ever recieved bc it allowed me to be creative...if your daughter is interested in clothes, I absolutely would do it and accompany it with different fun fabrics that would meet her taste in clothing, as well as a few easy patterns, thread, etc.

I have been sewing since I was 4 years old. I love to sew. If she is interested, go for it. It is an amazing hobby and if she gets really good at it, it can turn into a career.

I have a Janome and love it, but for a first machine I would consider a Brother or a Singer. Make sure the sewing machine has straight, zig zag, zipper, and button hole features.

You might check Craig's list for used sewing machines.

A.,

I have been teaching 9-12 year olds to sew for the past few years. PLEASE don't get her a "kids" machine. Get her one of the more basic machines maybe, but not the Kids. A LARGE number of my students have recieved them for Christmas or Birthday, and they either don't work at all from the get go, or only work for a very short period. They had NO luck having them fixed OR refunded. :-(

If you want to invest in a GREAT, (but reasonable...$200ish)machine, look at the: Kenmoreitem #02016231000 Mfr. model #16231

I absolutely LOVE my machine for kids. It has a speed control. One of the hardest things for kids to learn is controling the material and the speed at the same time. I can put my machine on slow, and no matter how hard they step on the control it will just creep along. It's truly a phenomonal addition, and one that I haven't seen on another machine.

If you are in the southern DFW area, I would be happy to help your daughter a few times to get to know her machine. :-)

T.

I don't remember when I started sewing I was so young. My sister and I would make our own Barbie and doll clothes. As part of our homeschool curriculum, my children (son and daughter) took sewing classes with my mom. They both really enjoyed it, including my son who is all boy. It's a great but nearly forgotten skill. Needle and thread is much cheaper than paying a tailor.

I got my daughter one for Christmas this year- she is 8. I am not a pro at sewing but I can create lots of things. Everytime I sew she wants to help and learn. She spent hours messing with the machine one day when I borrowed my moms. Im also getting her the lessons like you said. Im super excited about this gift to her. Im also putting together a sewing basket with the basic notions, some "practice" fabric and some see and sew patterns. As others have said- dont get a kids machine, you will be wasting money. I got hers at wal mart, it is a basic machine and the brand is Brother. ITs a good brand and has pink and purple flowers on the front so it does look like its for younger girls. It was 60.00. Good luck- I think you have a great idea!!

Hi A.,

My 8 1/2 yr old daughter also LOVES to sew. For her 8th b-day her grandmother bought her her own child size sewing machine. However, we all decided it would be best to keep at Grandmas so she could teach our DD how to sew which she has done a great job doing. I have two little ones at home so always staying busy and Grandma has the time to teacher her to sew as well as buying the products to use for sewing.
My DD spent a lot of time with Grandma this summer because she couldn't wait to go sew. She made things like baby blankets, decorative pillows and is currently working on a quilt for herself. I seen one the other day at Big Lots and came so close to buying it so she could do it at home as well BUT since I know nothing about sewing I know she'll still need Grandmas help with making things so I decided to pass and just keep it as an activity to do at Grandmas house. I think if you truly have the time to teach her how to use it and have a lot of patience, then it would be a good gift idea but if not, then I would wait just a few more years when she has the concept of it down better. Maybe 11-12 years old. It is a really fun thing for little girls to do but at that age she'll still need lots of guidance until she's a pro! : )

Take care!
P.S. If you decide to get one, I seen a really cute Hello Kitty one at Big Lots for $30. I thought it was a pretty good price and comes with goodies to get her started.

I just love this kid already! That is a great gift idea and yes she can learn at this age. I started at age 5 with my grandmother and was never able to finish learning all of her tips and tricks before she passed away. I wished I had learned more. I still sew cute little dresses for my daughter, baby blankets, the easy stuff. If you can find her a class, I would get her in one. It's easy to sew but lots of things can go wrong that cause frustration and could ruin the experience if she is not sure how to work it out, like tangled bobbin thread, stitches too tight, etc. A class will help her really get to know the machine and how it works.
I would not buy a child's machine for her since they are so unreliable. You can get a good adult machine at Walmart pretty cheap these days. Be sure to include the essentials for getting started, such as a scrap material, extra needles, thread, a good pair of scissors, etc.
She will need a lot of guidance at first, but sewing is one of those skills that comes in soooo handy and I can't tell you how many of my friends tell me they wished they had learned. I love being able to make things for my little girl and can't wait until she's old enough for a Barbie wardrobe!

I think it is a great idea and KUDOS to you for recognizing it and making the effort to encourage your daughter.

Who knows....she could be the next Versace!!!

I don't know anything about sewing. I do know in 6th grade my daughter had to take a class in home ec and she LOVED the cooking and sewing. Now I do cook a lot from scratch and all so my daughter enjoys that at home but she absolutely LOVED home ec so much she took it as an elective the following year!