A few years ago I helped out with crafts at our local primary school....I did a project with a class of six year olds which was great fun.
I got them all to draw a picture on an rectangular piece of fabric about 12x18 ...then I set it with an iron, put some wadding behaind it and then got them to sew some detail on it using the sewing machine and coloured threads, some added sequins etc....one young boy who really had little concentration did a beautiful happy sun ....so we drew some sunglasses on him and filled them in with squiggly dark stitches....I remember him being so proud.
I then made cheap colourful frames from bright thin cardboard and we hung them all round the classroom....they all looked brilliant.
Most of the children had never seen a sewing machine, let alone usd one, but loved it, changing the thread and pushing the foot pedal and choosing stitches......it is sad to think that health and safety would probably not allow that kind of activity now !