Teen sewing?
 

My son is 14. He is getting to that phase that he wants to be "different" and is personalizing his clothes (and hair and shoes and so on and so on). Translated: he wants ME to personalize his clothes! I have no problem with this and encourage him to march to the beat of his own drum, etc, etc, etc.
So I have decided to give him one of my sewing machines to learn on. I have two that I "wouldn't miss" too much. Which one should I give him? One is a newer Singer.. you know, the one for $87 at Walmart. It sews just fine and there's nothing wrong with it, but it's a little on the small-side and it's light and *cheap* and plastic-y. It likes to jump a little and every once in a while, you realize that the machine has moved a bit away from you, so you have to pull it back to ya. It's really no big deal; if you have a cheapie, you know what I mean. The other is a 1963 Kenmore in a cabinet. It weighs more than he does and since it's in a cabinet... None of the problems the Singer has! It's lavender, so it already has one "manly" strike against it. But since our joke is, "he could break an anvil", I think he'd get along better with it. Of course, neither one of them would be set up in his bedroom, so it's not like his friends would make fun of "his purple sewing machine!"

My next question: what should we work on? He's already picked up on how to thread the machine, etc really quick. He knows how to follow directions, but he isn't interested in making clothes, just modifying them, so patterns don't interest him. But I would like him to learn how to *sew* before he starts cutting! I know when I was a kid, I'd make little bags and sack dresses for my dolls, etc. I don't know what to interest him with!

Thanks!

Would a pillow be something, just to get the feel of the machine? some fabric he likes, for his bed, or to lay on watching TV?

I would starrt with a simple thing like a pillow then move up to a drawstring bag he cold use a gym bag. Another idea would be boxer type shorts or pajama pants.

Don't start your son with the "cheapie". When he starts having problems with it, it might kill his desire to sew. There are so many projects he could try--pillowslips, boxer shorts, dufflebags... Let him decide and encourage him every step of the way.

I used to work at a summer camp and my boys that came around liked making pillowcases, those drawstring backpacks, as well as pajama bottoms! Lol my guys were usually just pleased and surprised that they could sew at all! I think if he picks the project and the fabric he'll probably be into anything, you can always "suggest" things to him and point him in the direction you want him to go in!! :) Have fun!

or if he has a girlfriend (or a close friend that's a girl, or even a sister!) he could always make something for them too!

Let him use the Kenmore--heavy is better for a beginner. One of my sons was into (in succession) ninjas, Star Wars, camouflage/military and re-enacting. We worked together on the clothing, often with out a pattern but healways needed bags, pouches, straps which he got to do himself.

Have you seen the layered and cut t-shirts? He can put one shirt inside another, stitch spirals, zig-zag, herringbone through both layers and then cut the fabric between the lines of stitching on the outer shirt.

When my son wanted to learn to sew, we started with boxer-type shorts that he could sleep in. There are some fairly easy patterns out there with elastic waists and even fly fronts. He wore his for several years.