Sewing can be enjoyable in many ways and also a great way to build skills, save money and more. Sewing is also an attractive and fun hobby for any age. Children of different ages find it more attractive to sew things with the sewing machine. They tend to learn different types of sewing that help them to develop fashion skills. If your children are interested in stitching clothes and they learn different and unique stitching skills, then they may come up with their clothing projects.
Teaching the use of a sewing machine to an adult cannot be as challenging as teaching a child. It will require time, patience, and lots of love. Your child will make mistakes in the beginning, but it is one of the ways to learn. Some parents are not sure that when they should be teaching their children about sewing and the use of sewing machines.
When to Introduce A Sewing Machine to Kids
If your children are mature enough and interested in using the sewing machine, then you can teach them how to use a sewing machine. Make sure that they are as easy as of age four. Children of this age require full supervision. There are chances that they might get injuries because of a short attention span. The recommended age is 6 by the sewing experts. It is to avoid getting impatient.
6 is still not the perfect age because they will require supervision. It will be to prevent potential mishaps. Once your child reaches the age of 8, you can leave them with a sewing machine unsupervised. Before leaving them with the sewing machine, make sure that the machine is having all of the required safety features. It will make sure that your little one’s hands are out of danger or any harm.
Skills Required to Use the Sewing Machine
Before leaving them with the sewing machine, you have to teach them the basic skills of sewing. The first one is to teach them to how to thread a needle. The second skill is to use the sewing machine with the foot pedal. Another important skill is to teach them to draw the perfect curves.
Before teaching your child with the sewing machine, ask them to trace a dress outline on paper. It will provide them an excellent foundation for sewing. This practice will help them to coordinate their hand movements while they are working on the fabric. Also, keep in mind when teaching your children about the sewing machine, do not urge for the perfect sewing. It affects the creativity of the child.
While teaching them about sewing and sewing machine, show them the correct way of stitching. If your child is doing their own creative and safe approach, then let them use it. With time, they will not only learn sewing but also be creative and enjoy sewing.
Choosing a Sewing Machine for Your Children
You should be considering the following factors before choosing a sewing machine for your children.
Safety Features
The safety of a child is the basic factor that every parent considers before buying anything for their children. Even if it is a toy, they come from a specific age group. Here we are talking about sewing machines which can be a hazard for your children. Most parents don’t even buy their children a toy that seems to be unsafe for their children. Same as they don’t let their children go near to a sewing machine.
Most parents don’t let their children have a sewing experience because the sewing machine does not seem safe to them. Because of this, manufacturers have worked on the safety features of the sewing machine. Hence, sewing machines have adequate safety features that can be used easily by your children.
Sewing machines have sharp needles, electricity, and many other parts that move during sewing or stitching. Before choosing a sewing machine for your children, make sure that it is having all of the safety features required for your child.
Simplicity
If the sewing machine is equipped with fancy gadgets, then it might make it challenging for learning children to use all of the features. Therefore, make sure that it is a simple sewing machine for learning children. Don’t focus on the complexity of the device. A simple machine helps the children to learn more skills and to polish them.
Type of Feet
It is required by children that their feet can attach securely in the place. The right sewing machine that you will be choosing for your child should be having a secure foothold. Some children had injuries while sewing because their feet snapped off and they sew their hand fingers.
Sewing Speed
The sewing machine you have chosen for your children comes with push-button and your child has to maintain the speed. It develops the skills in a learning child to make a garment using the accuracy of sewing machine speed. Also, your child will be able to maintain control without losing the speed of the machine. The opposite happens when you use a foot pedal of the sewing machine to maintain the speed.
Thread Feeding Mechanism
Threading the needle can be a frustrating and difficult task for children, as well as for adults. The sewing machine you are buying for your children should be having a proper illustration diagram of threading a needle. If not, you can buy a device that automatically threads the needle, also known as, self-threading needle device.
Stitching Options
When you are teaching your children about sewing or stitching, it involves different methods and techniques. For this, make sure that the sewing machine you are choosing for your children should be having 5 to 6 different sewing or stitches methods. It gives your children a variety of options to try on different designs and fabrics. Hence, they will be able to learn more on their own.
Skills
Some children learn things early and easily but some take time. You cannot force them to learn any kind of skill. The same is the case with sewing skills; it is easy for some children but others take a lot of time to learn it. If your child is a beginner, then don’t buy them a sewing machine that required threading the needle manually. It will frustrate them and they will not learn the sewing skill.
Buy them a lightweight sewing machine so that they can carry it anywhere they want to. Otherwise, you will be carrying the heavy-weight sewing machine from one room to another.
Design
Kids are attracted to toys that may seem weird to you but they are attracted because of the design. Before buying a sewing machine for your children, make sure that it is of high quality and attractive design. It will bring fun to the children and they will learn the skill with fun. Otherwise, it will be boring for them and they won’t learn sewing skills.
Sewing Machine – A Fun Skill for Children
Sewing is a lifelong skill. It might bring up an artist or fashion designer in the future, you never know! Sewing skill is easy for some children and they become experts within no time. Some of them don’t learn quickly, but you have to be patient. It will require more time and money of yours to train them for sewing skills.
Investing your patience, time, and money you will make them learn a skill for lifelong. They might stitch their clothes. Also, keep the age factor in mind before introducing them to sewing machines.