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!