How young is too young???
 

My granddaughter is 5 and she loves to help gramma "quilt". so far she has sewn buttons on fabric and glued fabrics together. She really wants to sew like gramma but i say she is too young. How old do you think she should be before she uses a real machine?

I could have been using a machine at age 5 - with supervision, of course. If she has good coordination, I would sit her on my lap to help feed fabric through. Might also get a safety attachment for the presser foot - helps keep fingers away from the needle. Try having her guide lined paper through at first.

I sat on my mom's lap at around four and helped guide the fabric for hemming cup towels for my grandmother. Hand stitched doll clothes out of my mom's scraps for several years after that. Made my first garment all by myself at 13.
That being said if she is interested go for it!

My granddaughters started sewing at 4. I purchased an inexpensive Brother machine at Walmart ($89) the reason for that machine was because it had speed control ( important feature for kids) I set the machine up on their little round care bear table- table & chairs just their size.
I didn’t stress over seam width, or anything like that. They could cut fabric with scissors. I ironed for them. My youngest granddaughter wanted to make a quilt for her daddy when he was being deployed, didn’t want him to forget her ( she had just turned 4) I printed 2 pictures onto fabric for her, him holding her, her arms wrapped around his neck- big smiles. I let her rummage through fabrics on the shelves, she picked out what she wanted, laid everything out on the floor, sewed it all together with the picture block in the middle. Some seams were 1” wide, some were wavy, but she got it all together the way she wanted it. ( the second picture I used to make her a hot pack pillow, so she could warm it up & take it to bed with her— warm hugs from daddy)
after she finished her quilt top we turned a tall dresser on its side in front of the longarm & she quilted the quilt herself- walking back & forth on that dresser. Then she folded backing to front & stitched her ( binding) she really wanted it to be just from her. 13 years later it is still his favorite quilt- it has traveled around the world and she still has her pillow on her bed. All 3 granddaughters loved to sew and were adventurous, I just let them. Only rules, can’t just cut up Fabric and not use it and no ironing Or rotary cutter until they were much older (16-18)
they have become quite good seamstresses, they make purses, clothes, toys....only a quilt for special gifts they like making other stuff.

that is an awesome idea--where can i find the safety attachment for the presser foot? googled it an nothing came up!!

Google needle guard.

Cari

She will be okay as long as her finger doesn't go past the end of the presser foot.

At 5 I was already sewing on the old Singer 201. I had several older siblings that also sewed, so they taught me. It had a knee control, so it didn't matter that my feet did not touch the floor. I would hook my foot around the stool leg to get enough "traction" to be able to operate that knee lever.

i think it depends on the child.

i have " heard" about very goung children doing factory sewing. I do k ow if that is true oe not.

I too was taught at a very young age on a Singer 201 by my Grandmother. I don't specifically remember using scissors, but do remember pinning patterns and using a seam ripper. I'm grateful to Grandma for the early lessons and cherish those memories with her.

When I was about 13 she gave me that old Singer, and when I moved out on my own, the machine stayed with my Mother. Mom passed away a few years ago, and that old Singer now is the star in my sewing room. It has served three generations of women well, and someday I hope my granddaughter will want her grandma to teach her to sew too.

Every child is different, so it depends; I learned to sew when I was 9 on a treadle machine, I had so much fun, and I also managed to put the needle through my finger at some point. No one was home, so I waited patiently for my father to come home and he took a pair of pliers and removed it from my finger, and I went back to my project. I say the earlier the better to begin stirring the creative juices in a child’s mind, so much better than electronics and video games!

Found this website featuring a 4-year-old:
http://www.made-by-rae.com/2011/10/t...ewing-machine/

I have ordered from this website before, and they were good. It's easiest to look up your machine first, then search for a finger guard attachment that fits your machine:
https://www.sewingpartsonline.com/?g...xoCJy0QAvD_BwE

if she sits on your lap, you will control the foot pedal. some people find things to wedge in it so the pedal won't go down as much.

Such a beautiful story and how clever you were to think of using the dresser so she could easily use your LAM.

Such a lovely story! Thanks for making me smile. And thank you for the tips. I like the way you taught them. I think I might do the same with my daughter's when the come of age.

My boys were sewing with a real machine at ages 6 & 8. So I think a 5 yr old girl could learn to do so safely. Of course, depends on the individual child...

I am 74 and learned at the age of 4. I was an only child and my mom made all my clothes, staying up late nights to do doll clothes for Christmas, etc. I was nosy, and had to help, so she set me up with her Singer Featherweight (I still have it) and lined paper, no thread. As soon as I mastered that she had me draw shapes, hearts, circles, etc. I made my own clothes at 11, jr high I helped teach the other home ec classmates and was putting in zippers, using the buttonhole attachment and doing set in sleeves. By high school I made all my own formals and lots of summer clothes. I won lots of prizes in home ec. Teach them young! My first two DGDs love to sew, 12 and 10, and the 8 year old made her first quilt all by herself.

My Brother SQ9000 has a slow speed. I think if you kept an eye on her she would be okay if the machine is not going too fast.

my great nieces love helping their mom and myself. Started when they were 3 and 6 - they are now 5 and 8. Of course an adult is always with them

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When we moved from KS to WA I was 8 years old and my best friend, Judy, was 9 - her mother had her sewing doll clothes and I thought it was the greatest thing to do. She had one of those red children's Singer toy machines - it worked great. I wanted one so bad but my mother said if I was going to learn to sew I needed to learn on a real machine and she had me use her Singer 15-91. It had a knee control so I didn't have to reach a pedal. I loved using Judy's machine but my mom never thought I needed the little machine. I have the 15-91 now - still going strong 55 years later. No idea how old Judy was when she first learned to sew. Neither of my older sisters learned to sew until they took Home Ec in school.

I did sew my left index finger once - my mom's reaction was, "Well, now you know why I told you to keep your fingers out of the way." It did;t slow me any - wasn't a big deal since it went next to the nail but all the way thru - she helped me get the needle out of my finger, and I kept on going.

I was sewing about that age. I had a little old hand crank Singer child's machine that had belonged to my father's bachelor uncle. He used to mend his clothes on it. I made blankets and saddles for my plastic horses. :)

I doing hand embroider about 10 and using the machine soon after. I can't really remember, but I know I had already made a couple garments when I took sewing in 8th grade home ec.

I started my young friend when she was 6. We did string blocks all summer, once a week with swimming after. We had a BLAST. She still comes over in the summer. She will be 13 this month and I am gifting her a quilt. Last summer she made a back pack and the summer before shorts.

I taught my boys how to use my machine when they were really young- younger than 5 or maybe around 5. They were fascinated by it. It brings back cute memories thinking about those little ones.
The girls in these photos are adorable!

I learned to sew at about 8 by making doll clothes. I sewed through my finger more than once. I never told anyone, as then they might not let me sew.

bkay

My baby started younger. It's actually pretty easy to teach them how to control speed with the pedal. Just get a finger guard and sit with her

I relate this question to cooking. Dangerous stuff, but taught with the respect for safety and what the machines/stove, oven, etc do, it's all a matter of when the child is ready. Child #3 for me was "sewing" fabric on my Viking at the age of 4. She also loved poking in and out of a design she made herself on muslin in a hoop in her first versions of embroidery.

My eldest is 27 and I'm pretty sure I'd have to be much more careful with her ;)

If there is an interest, and ability to sit still and be safe, I say go for it. Someone suggested I could start to teach my niece (she is five), but she is too "twirly". I have known other five-year-olds I know could handle it, but she could not; she doesn't listen well enough.

Precious story...

My 2 year old grandson showed an interest and started by sitting on my lap. When I saw the interest continue, I got a real machine for him and removed the needle so he now just feeds material through to get the hang of doing it straight and using the foot control. This stage without the needle was also making sure he kept his fingers where they should be and not in the needle area. He’s gotten quite good at all that so we’ll soon be putting the needle back in and let him start actually sewing. I am always right there with him when he is at the machine. He told me he wants to make a quilt for his baby cousin.

Thats the trick....a child who is interested and has patients and stamina to practice on cutie pie scraps......a machine that gears down to very slow speed. And an adult who can sit next to the child without taking over, or raising her voice.

All of these ideas are great. I just have one more. Don't get a toy machine. They have a tendency to jam etc. Learning on a real machine is much less frustrating.
I don't think she is too young. Enjoy making the memories together.

I started sewing around age 5 on a Wheeler and Wilson treadle machine. I made doll clothes out of scraps my dad would bring home from an office in a building where he worked. I learned to make yo-yos also. My mom got an electric machine, a Singer 201 soon thereafter. I made my first dress out of feed sacks when I was 9. I have sewed ever since and still love to sew. I taught home ec. quilting classes and I sewed for the public for years. I have taught some of my grandchildren to sew. It stuck for some and not for others. They do need supervision; but, that is part of the fun of spending time with them. I say, go for it.

I would like to teach my 5yr old grand daughter, but I do not get to spend much time with her, as she lives 2 hrs away. I think she has the ability to concentrate but just not enough time.
Bummer
Mike

I started sewing at age 5 on my mother's 1930's Singer, was making my own clothes by age 10. My granddaughter loved to spend time sewing with me, so when she was 5 I bought her a sewing machine. She kept it here at my house, and used to ask her mom to come for a sleepover so she could sew. When she was about 13 she made her first quilt. And this year she took the sewing machine off to college with her and made her curtains for her apartment. It is so gratifying to hear her say that she just HAS to sew something.

I taught my grands to sew when they were 7 or 8. One made and hung a quilt in the psych ward in our local hospital when she was 9.

My 5 year old grandson made a pillow case. I set my machine at the slowest speed and sat in the chair while he stood at the machine. He was very proud of his accomplishment.

I am so grateful for the ideas and comments. I will start without the needle and then add a thread guard when the needle returns (lined paper first)!! We thank you so much--looking forward to having a quilt buddy for years to come!! will try to post pics when we get going!!

My older daughter used to sit on my lap and sew with me from age 3. I'd let her guide the fabric from the outer edge of the sewing machine until I knew she wouldn't get too close to the needle. I made all her clothes from birth to high school & she loved watching me sew.

I teach kids as young as 6. They make tote bags, messenger bags and one boy made a boogie board cover. I have them use school chalk (easier to hold) to make lines and then use scissors to cut. I put blue painters tape on the machine to use as their seam gauge line and work VERY HARD to make sure they learn to keep their fingers away from the presser foot. I have a lower table and chair for them to use so they can sit comfortably with their feet on the floor (one girl needed a little stepstool for the foot pedal). You would be amazed at how well they do and how well they follow direction. And, I can absolutely guarantee there is no better feeling than watching them complete a project on their own!

She will be fine with close supervision. My daughter finger pressed (I ironed), she cut with scissors (I used the rotary cutter), I drew sewing lines, she learned to thread the machine and to fill bobbins. There are books available about sewing with children. Control is often taught by either sewing stripes, or by drawing lines and broad squiggles on paper.