Sew in need of advice for choosing beginner's sewing machine
April 15, 2023 2:09 PM Subscribe
My kiddo is asking for a sewing machine for her upcoming 9th birthday. Neither of us know anything about sewing machines. I'm looking for recommendations on features to look for or for specific models, or for websites that will give me enough fundamentals to make a good choice.
Her current goal is to make doll clothes for 18 inch dolls (like American Girl doll size) and for 11-ish dolls (for her Harry Potter and Hermione dolls who are close to Barbie sized). I want a machine that is simple and sturdy enough not to frustrate her (or me, since I imagine I'm going to need to learn to use it in order to help her), but hopefully not so basic that she'll "outgrow" it before she's a teenager. Budget is under $150.
Would also like advice on some basic supplies to go with it. What's the easiest type of fabric to start with? Best thread? Patterns simple enough for a child? Scissors that'll cut fabric easily? Other things I wouldn't even think of because I don't sew, but will make this easier?
Her current goal is to make doll clothes for 18 inch dolls (like American Girl doll size) and for 11-ish dolls (for her Harry Potter and Hermione dolls who are close to Barbie sized). I want a machine that is simple and sturdy enough not to frustrate her (or me, since I imagine I'm going to need to learn to use it in order to help her), but hopefully not so basic that she'll "outgrow" it before she's a teenager. Budget is under $150.
Would also like advice on some basic supplies to go with it. What's the easiest type of fabric to start with? Best thread? Patterns simple enough for a child? Scissors that'll cut fabric easily? Other things I wouldn't even think of because I don't sew, but will make this easier?
I am a big fan of Janome machines and honestly just go to Joanne’s Fabrics and have someone walk you through the basics of what thread, scissors and fabric to get (your daughter will want to pick out her own fabric I’m sure! As long as it’s not too heavy thick or stretchy she’ll be fine). At this phase thread doesn’t matter too much just don’t get something that looks hairy (or little fibers will come off during sewing and gums up the machine.) A good amount of sewing is actually materials preparation - wash, iron and use pins to pin the pattern to fabric. Since dolls don’t care if clothes are comfortable and fit perfectly, I’d just get some fabric paper (ask the staff) and cut out her own beginner designs based on ideas she has or pictures she’s seen on the internet.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 2:23 PM on April 15, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by St. Peepsburg at 2:23 PM on April 15, 2023 [2 favorites]
The best advice I’ve ever heard about starting to sew is not to get precious about it - just learn a basic stitch and get started. You learn by doing.
Just to reiterate - personally I found stretchy fabric hard to work with as a beginner so tug on the fabric in both directions it shouldn’t be like yoga pant stretch just like a nice cotton or linen.
A seam ripper is also helpful when you’re starting out!
posted by St. Peepsburg at 2:28 PM on April 15, 2023 [3 favorites]
Just to reiterate - personally I found stretchy fabric hard to work with as a beginner so tug on the fabric in both directions it shouldn’t be like yoga pant stretch just like a nice cotton or linen.
A seam ripper is also helpful when you’re starting out!
posted by St. Peepsburg at 2:28 PM on April 15, 2023 [3 favorites]
I recently bought a Brother CS7000X based on this extensive Wirecutter evaluation. They were right-- it is a terrific machine for a really good price. A beginner could sew for years and years before needing anything more.
It's a few years old, but Mefite Tchad teaches sewing in Chicago, and has a lot of good comments about how he chooses machines here.
posted by seasparrow at 2:30 PM on April 15, 2023 [3 favorites]
It's a few years old, but Mefite Tchad teaches sewing in Chicago, and has a lot of good comments about how he chooses machines here.
posted by seasparrow at 2:30 PM on April 15, 2023 [3 favorites]
Oh last advice - I got a good deal on my machine by calling up a sewing school and asking if they had any used models for sale. They replaced them every six months so I got a nice one for $250 less. But I did have to wait for their window…
posted by St. Peepsburg at 2:30 PM on April 15, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by St. Peepsburg at 2:30 PM on April 15, 2023 [4 favorites]
I asked this question about my own child who was younger (too young, actually, as suggested by the hive mind). Still, the recs were great: https://ask.metafilter.com/259094/Shes-Sewwwww-Cute
posted by nkknkk at 2:49 PM on April 15, 2023
posted by nkknkk at 2:49 PM on April 15, 2023
Quilting cotton is way to work with and has a ton of cute patterns to keep it interesting. Totally agree to avoid things that stretch at first.
The one feature I’ve found that helps beginners is a machine where you can limit the maximum speed. One of the most nerve racking bits is when you accidentally floor it.
posted by advicepig at 3:43 PM on April 15, 2023 [2 favorites]
The one feature I’ve found that helps beginners is a machine where you can limit the maximum speed. One of the most nerve racking bits is when you accidentally floor it.
posted by advicepig at 3:43 PM on April 15, 2023 [2 favorites]
When the pandemic first hit, I got a Brother CE1125 refurbished, direct from Brother, because it was the only thing I could get my hands on. I paid ~$150 for it, and so far it has done everything I have asked of it, including hemming several pairs of jeans. Early in the pandemic, when everyone was scrambling for masks, I occupied myself by sewing masks in youth-adult sizes, to give away. I stopped counting at 500 masks, but went well beyond that. While I've gone through plenty of needles, the machine itself has not once let me down.
It seems like the newer "electronic" machines use servos and stepper motors to create the fancy stitch designs, instead of complex mechanical assemblies. And, while I would say mom's old Singer is almost certainly built more robustly, she is constantly fighting with it, while my cheap Brother just works.
The only modifications that I've made to my machine are that I made an extension for the foot pedal cord, because where I usually sew (at the dining table) the standard cord was only just barely long enough to work without being in the way. I also modified the foot pedal so that "flooring it" results in a lower top speed than before, because as it was, it was way too fast for me.
Things I like about my little Brother:
-Semi-automatic needle threader: Wind the thread through its path, bring it down near the needle, push this lever and a little thingy swings out, snags the thread, and pulls it through the needle's eye. This is frickin' magic, and a godsend for my bad eyes.
-Easy bobbin winding and loading. Winding a new bobbin takes maybe 20 seconds, and loading it is as close to drop-in as can be.
-Basically maintenance-free. Explicitly says in the manual DO NOT OIL THIS MACHINE. Clean out the dust and that's about it.
-The upper & lower thread tensioners just plain work.
-Changing stitches is as easy as pushing a button!
I came into this knowing basically nothing, but the Brother manual was written for dummies like me, and I figured out winding & loading bobbins, threading, all that rather easily. I found a good mask tutorial on YouTube and my first effort was actually wearable!
In the few years since, I've slowly expanded to hemming & mending my clothes, made some carboy covers for my homebrew, elastic-fit covers for my kayaks, and more, all on this dinky little Brother. Having used it for a few years now, sure there are a few things I wish it did a little better; just a little more oomph through those chonky denim seams would be nice... but it does them, and cheapskate that I am, I'll probably just keep using this thing until I hit a hard wall on something it just can't do.
Easiest fabric to start with? For me, quilting cotton. It drapes well, feeds well, it's not fussy like satin or stretch fabric, it's not awkward like canvas, and beginners and idiots like me aren't going to break wrong-size needles on it like denim. There's a ton of variety in patterns and prints, plenty to keep things interesting.
Get a variety of thread colors, and see if you can get extra bobbins for your machine. Mine came with like... six? Which I thought was way too many at first, and then found myself wanting so many more, because I kept changing thread colors and hated to waste thread.
Thread snips are handy, and easier to work with than scissors for trimming threads.
You can get very, very expensive fabric scissors, but for starters and possibly easier for a 9yo, I really like these Fiskars easy action. They'll handle a couple layers of quilting cotton just fine, and will cut through denim seams with a little care and effort, if done deep in the jaws, near the pivot.
Again, I am a complete rookie at this, but for thread, I like Gutermann Sew-All for a lot of projects. It just works. Coats All-Purpose has also worked fine.
A good pincushion and a supply of straight pins and/or sewing clips is a must, as is having plenty of light to work by.
For storage, I use something like this to keep all my stuff in. Fabric, thread, tailor's chalk, measuring tapes, etc.
posted by xedrik at 3:49 PM on April 15, 2023 [3 favorites]
It seems like the newer "electronic" machines use servos and stepper motors to create the fancy stitch designs, instead of complex mechanical assemblies. And, while I would say mom's old Singer is almost certainly built more robustly, she is constantly fighting with it, while my cheap Brother just works.
The only modifications that I've made to my machine are that I made an extension for the foot pedal cord, because where I usually sew (at the dining table) the standard cord was only just barely long enough to work without being in the way. I also modified the foot pedal so that "flooring it" results in a lower top speed than before, because as it was, it was way too fast for me.
Things I like about my little Brother:
-Semi-automatic needle threader: Wind the thread through its path, bring it down near the needle, push this lever and a little thingy swings out, snags the thread, and pulls it through the needle's eye. This is frickin' magic, and a godsend for my bad eyes.
-Easy bobbin winding and loading. Winding a new bobbin takes maybe 20 seconds, and loading it is as close to drop-in as can be.
-Basically maintenance-free. Explicitly says in the manual DO NOT OIL THIS MACHINE. Clean out the dust and that's about it.
-The upper & lower thread tensioners just plain work.
-Changing stitches is as easy as pushing a button!
I came into this knowing basically nothing, but the Brother manual was written for dummies like me, and I figured out winding & loading bobbins, threading, all that rather easily. I found a good mask tutorial on YouTube and my first effort was actually wearable!
In the few years since, I've slowly expanded to hemming & mending my clothes, made some carboy covers for my homebrew, elastic-fit covers for my kayaks, and more, all on this dinky little Brother. Having used it for a few years now, sure there are a few things I wish it did a little better; just a little more oomph through those chonky denim seams would be nice... but it does them, and cheapskate that I am, I'll probably just keep using this thing until I hit a hard wall on something it just can't do.
Easiest fabric to start with? For me, quilting cotton. It drapes well, feeds well, it's not fussy like satin or stretch fabric, it's not awkward like canvas, and beginners and idiots like me aren't going to break wrong-size needles on it like denim. There's a ton of variety in patterns and prints, plenty to keep things interesting.
Get a variety of thread colors, and see if you can get extra bobbins for your machine. Mine came with like... six? Which I thought was way too many at first, and then found myself wanting so many more, because I kept changing thread colors and hated to waste thread.
Thread snips are handy, and easier to work with than scissors for trimming threads.
You can get very, very expensive fabric scissors, but for starters and possibly easier for a 9yo, I really like these Fiskars easy action. They'll handle a couple layers of quilting cotton just fine, and will cut through denim seams with a little care and effort, if done deep in the jaws, near the pivot.
Again, I am a complete rookie at this, but for thread, I like Gutermann Sew-All for a lot of projects. It just works. Coats All-Purpose has also worked fine.
A good pincushion and a supply of straight pins and/or sewing clips is a must, as is having plenty of light to work by.
For storage, I use something like this to keep all my stuff in. Fabric, thread, tailor's chalk, measuring tapes, etc.
posted by xedrik at 3:49 PM on April 15, 2023 [3 favorites]
Brother CS7000x for sure. Great price point and it’s plenty sturdy and has all the stitches. Get thread from the thread section, either Gutterman or Coats & Clark, not those sets of no-brand thread you can buy; they always tangle.
Doll clothes are harder to sew than you’d think, they’re small! So start off with just doing some straight seam projects. Throw pillows, pajama pants, and square bags are the classic starter projects. Then start with simple doll stuff—blanket for the doll bed, simpler dress patterns, and on from there.
posted by assenav at 4:25 PM on April 15, 2023 [3 favorites]
Doll clothes are harder to sew than you’d think, they’re small! So start off with just doing some straight seam projects. Throw pillows, pajama pants, and square bags are the classic starter projects. Then start with simple doll stuff—blanket for the doll bed, simpler dress patterns, and on from there.
posted by assenav at 4:25 PM on April 15, 2023 [3 favorites]
Almost any woven non-stretch not-too-heavy cotton will be easy, whether it's for quilting or apparel. But what kinds of clothes does she want to make? If she wants to make stretch clothing for them, or things similar to what she probably wears, regular cotton might not be satisfying.
For scissors look for something that works well with small hands! Rotary cutters are often used for fabric cutting these days, but they're very easy to accidentally cut yourself with so you may want to wait until she's older for that.
Similarly ironing is really helpful when sewing and there are some mini irons that might be handy when making tiny clothes, but again ymmv wrt safety.
It's probably a good idea to not go overboard with equipment at first, but if she sticks with it be prepared for her to want or need all kinds of tools.
YouTube is an incredible resource these days for learning how to sew, so if you've been limiting her screen time, that's something to consider.
posted by trig at 4:39 PM on April 15, 2023 [1 favorite]
For scissors look for something that works well with small hands! Rotary cutters are often used for fabric cutting these days, but they're very easy to accidentally cut yourself with so you may want to wait until she's older for that.
Similarly ironing is really helpful when sewing and there are some mini irons that might be handy when making tiny clothes, but again ymmv wrt safety.
It's probably a good idea to not go overboard with equipment at first, but if she sticks with it be prepared for her to want or need all kinds of tools.
YouTube is an incredible resource these days for learning how to sew, so if you've been limiting her screen time, that's something to consider.
posted by trig at 4:39 PM on April 15, 2023 [1 favorite]
The one feature I’ve found that helps beginners is a machine where you can limit the maximum speed.
Seconding this. I was around your daughter's age when I first tried machine sewing. It was terrifying on my mother's old Singer but not on my cousin's newer one. Being able to limit the maximum speed made a really big difference.
posted by EvaDestruction at 6:14 PM on April 15, 2023 [1 favorite]
Seconding this. I was around your daughter's age when I first tried machine sewing. It was terrifying on my mother's old Singer but not on my cousin's newer one. Being able to limit the maximum speed made a really big difference.
posted by EvaDestruction at 6:14 PM on April 15, 2023 [1 favorite]
Count me in as another Brother fan. I got mine at Target and with it I've made a queen-size quilt, curtains for my house, clothing for my kid (when he was small) and endless small baby blankets. So worth it!
posted by BlahLaLa at 7:19 PM on April 15, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by BlahLaLa at 7:19 PM on April 15, 2023 [1 favorite]
Quilter's cotton is the right answer for a first fabric, in large part because it's predictable - if you can cut shapes in paper you can cut quilters cotton without too much of a learning curve. It also rewards good habits like prewashing/ironing (much nicer and easier to work with a crisp flat sheet!) while being forgiving for a sewing machine learner. By and large your fabric will stay where you put it, not pull threads or snag, and this is great while you get used to the machine. Use the longest stitch length, and you will be able to unpick mistakes fairly easily without destroying the fabric (which is not always true for more delicate materials.)
Okay now that we have that established, for all fun fabrics, I strongly recommend your local thrift store and/or your family's clothes you are about to send to the thrift store. To this day, I sacrifice an old item of clothing or spend 3-10 dollars on a single garment any time I want to get a feel for how a new kind of fabric (denim, stretch velvet, whatever) behaves, or just to be able to play around without investing in serious fabric. If your kid is making doll clothes, "handing down" favorite outgrown outfits could be really fun!
posted by itsatextfile at 8:39 PM on April 15, 2023 [2 favorites]
Okay now that we have that established, for all fun fabrics, I strongly recommend your local thrift store and/or your family's clothes you are about to send to the thrift store. To this day, I sacrifice an old item of clothing or spend 3-10 dollars on a single garment any time I want to get a feel for how a new kind of fabric (denim, stretch velvet, whatever) behaves, or just to be able to play around without investing in serious fabric. If your kid is making doll clothes, "handing down" favorite outgrown outfits could be really fun!
posted by itsatextfile at 8:39 PM on April 15, 2023 [2 favorites]
Another nice thing about quilting cotton is it is frequently sold in small precut pieces called fat quarters that I think are perfect amounts for doll clothes.
posted by foxfirefey at 11:45 PM on April 15, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by foxfirefey at 11:45 PM on April 15, 2023 [2 favorites]
Janome makes a model that I'm pretty sure I've recommended before, this beginner model. A sewing blogger I respect did a review on a similar Janome model several years ago - it's not the exact same machine, but you should get an idea of what to expect from the machine.
posted by Medieval Maven at 6:10 AM on April 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Medieval Maven at 6:10 AM on April 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
I found a nearly-new sewing machine via Facebook marketplace. Wanted to underscore Assenav's point to start on bigger projects with straight seams. Maybe a good kid's "learn to sew" book with projects before anything else.
posted by MichelleinMD at 8:24 AM on April 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by MichelleinMD at 8:24 AM on April 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Otherwise, for instance, I do very basic sewing, and a basic Brother machine is plenty for me. It was under $100 when I got it a few years ago. I don't intend to "size up" to a bigger/better machine because I don't need to.
My mom and sister, on the other hand, each have heavy duty awesome sewing machines because that's her main hobby (mom) and works on show choir costumes (sister), so they need them.
posted by Ms Vegetable at 2:17 PM on April 15, 2023 [2 favorites]