A Guide to buying a sewing machine
for your child
Written by Natasha Adams
Updated October 2023
Learning to sew
I taught myself to use a sewing machine, specifically so I could finish making a quilt that I had started making a year or so after my dad passed away when I was just 21. I made the quilt by hand, it was massive, and it took the best part of a year. It was painstaking. But it was also just the mindful activity I needed to calm me when things got overwhelming. I went travelling for 7 months and when I came back, I was faced with my unfinished quilt and really just wanted it finished. SO for my 25th Birthday, I asked my mum for a sewing machine. I was lucky enough that she went to John Lewis in Oxford Street to get some advice and the one the recommended, I still use in my classes today. My mum has zero clue about sewing, so I’m very glad that she asked for help!
Getting my first machine
I was given a computerised, John Lewis JL250 machine by my mum. I’m not even sure they still make them, but it is an absolute workhorse! John Lewis machines are just Janome machines with a plastic cover on that says John Lewis. So they are very good quality and great value for money. It also means the parts are quite interchangeable. Which is very handy now that I have 4 additional Janome machines for my classes.
Choosing the machines for my home sewing business
When I set up Bobbin&Bash I had the dilemma of choosing which machines to invest in so that I could teach my classes at home.
I obviously had a budget in mind, but more than that I needed the machines to be easy to set up and use. I wanted them to help foster a love a sewing and not instil dread every time the bobbin ran out and needed re-threading. They needed to be used by both adults and children and last.
So after contacting a local sewing machine company and a national one, to discuss my requirements we settled on the Janome 230-DC. These are not cheap at over £400 each. But they have been a fantastic investment and everyone from my 3 year old daughter, my 6 year old son, all the children I teach from 5-16yrs, the adults, those with dypraxia, ASD and even a few children who have arrived with broken arms or fingers (I’ve had 2 so far!) have been able to get on really well with them.
What’s in a name?
My first preference is a Janome machine. You get what you pay for in terms of quality and durability and they are very popular in the sewing community. Brother machines are also very popular, and a little less expensive but I find the Janome’s seem to get better reviews in terms of lasting. Singer, although once the gold standard, they seem to have slipped in quality and durability in more recent years, but nonetheless still remain one of the top machines, especially for those starting out. They are very aesthetically pleasing and seem to have less buttons and dials, making for a sleek design. But they are quite clunky, plasticky and basic. Once you’ve mastered how to thread your machine, you then start to look for other attributes.
Try before you buy
Before buying a new machine, always consider if you can borrow one from a friend or family member to see what things you like and dislike- like a try before you buy! Lots of people have old machines laying around, unused in lofts and cupboards and they’d be only too thrilled that your little one will actually use it! I’d also try local buying/selling groups to see if you can get one more cheaply or with caution, sites like ebay. Often you’ll need to send these machines for a service They can cost as little as £50 for a basic service or upto about £90 for a full service, but worth the money.
The perks of getting a new machine, include the warranty, not having to service it for about 3 years or more- depending on how often you use it and the updated functionality. However some older machines are built a lot better than the newer ones as they were really built to last.
There are also sewing machine shops where you can try before you buy, local ones, national ones, ones in department stores like John Lewis and independent retailers.
What are am I specifically looking for in a machine?
When I am looking for machines, especially one to be used by a child, I look for something that they will grow into. Rather than getting a machine specifically for children, which they will very quickly outgrow, and they are often more difficult to use than a standard machine. They also break easier, as the parts tend to use plastic instead of metal. These snap, are expensive to replace and end up costing more than the machine – but that’s another story. Full size machines usually hold their value quite well and so can be sold on if the interest fades. They can be used by the children and their parents, which you may not have even considered trying when you don’t have access to one. They can be passed on and passed down as good machines really do last.
1. TOP LOADING/ DROP-IN BOBBIN
I like the bobbin to be a top loading bobbin, instead of a front loading bobbin. This means there is a clear window directly below the needle. Below the window is where the bobbin is dropped in. The benefits of this are that you can see when the thread is running low, or has finished without having to unthread the machine or remove parts of it. Just a quick glance. It also runs smoother and breaks less often due to the bobbin thread getting tangled So makes for a much nicer sewing experience. However the price tends to go up significantly just for this function, sometimes by up to £200. I would say it is definitely worth it, but if your budget won’t stretch that far (understandably), then this is a good area to compromise on.
2. Computerised or manual machine
I have computerised machines as I think they are much easier to use and adjust the settings. However, I have also got a manual machine to show that it really isn’t that different, you just have to know where the dial is to change the setting. It’s much like automatic and manual cars. Once you’ve had an automatic you wonder why you didn’t switch sooner. If you’ve only ever had an automatic, you’ll probably be a bit overwhelmed at the extra steps involved to do the same thing. But once you’ve been shown to use a manual, it becomes very easy to transfer to an automatic and you probably have a better understanding of how the machine works – and so how to fix it, if it goes wrong. It’s preference. And price.
3. NO. OF STITCH TYPES
You really only need a handful of stitches. The running stitch (or straight stitch), the zig zag stitch and a button hole (preferably a 1 step buttonhole, but a 4 step buttonhole is just as easy to use). All the rest are mainly used for decorative purposes. Unless you or your child are planning to regularly add leaf embroidery to your projects then you can forego a machine that offers 60+ stitches. 12 stitches is quite standard and more than enough, any more are a bonus and a nice to have.
4. STITCH LENGTH AND WIDTH
On the more basic machines there isn’t a choice to increase how long a stitch is, or how wide it is. So you just get a standard setting. This is fine for most projects. However when you start wanting to make clothes and need to sew darts for example, it pays to be bale to decrease the stitch length so you can create tiny stitches. Or to increase the stitch length so you can make a gathering stitch to make ruffles, or frills. When making things that require applique, or stitching one piece of fabric on top of another – like a heart shape for example. We use the zig zag stitch to prevent it from fraying, to be able to change the width is very helpful and changes the whole look and function of the piece. On a manual machine there will usually be a dial or sorts, one for each ‘width’ and ‘length’. Some will have only one, meaning you can’t usually change the width, only the length and some have two. The computerised ones usually forego at least one dial and you can change the settings with a touch of a button. All the machines ,whether manual or computerised will usually have a hand wheel at the side of the machine to raise and lower the needle. Some will also have a button (usually computerised only) that does this for you, but it is not a necessity.
Growing with the machine
Learning to thread the machine is usually the most daunting bit about using a sewing machine. Once you have mastered this- (it really is easy when you know how, or have been shown how) then it becomes about ease of use. Then it is how fast the machine feels when you first use it and being able to control it. Once you have realised the pedal is just like one in a car, the harder you push it in the faster it goes- and therefore the lighter you touch with your foot the slower it goes, then it’s all about mastering the techniques. As you get more confident, you’ll want it to go faster and get very frustrated when you have a slower machine or one that only goes one speed. Once you’ve mastered using it on basic projects, you start to look for increased functionality, like adding button holes or changing to one of the additional feet to try new techniques- like adding a zipper in or using a walking foot to sew thicker layers of fabric or try quilting.
Lastly and quite importantly, cheaper machines tend to be very LOUD! The better the model, the quieter they tend to be. Which may not bother you at all but may be really, really irritating if they are right next to you sewing away happily while you are trying to do some work or watch TV and don’t have another room to put them in!
The things that I find useful in my machines, specifically for children are the following:
1. Speed limiter
Being able to slow the machine right down when they start and at the slide of a button genty increase it as their confidence grows. After only 1 or 2 lessons they start to creep up the speed and by the end of the term most children have really sped up and see it as very thrilling! IT is also really useful to slow the machine right down for controlled work, small parts and things like circles.
2. Auto stop/start button
In most instances, the children (and adults) are more than capable of using a foot pedal to make the machine work for the entire class. In some cases though, I find it really beneficial to be able to unplug the foot pedal and show them how to use the start/stop button instead. It’s like cruise control.
You set the speed and then press go when you want to sew and stop when you don’t want it to sew anymore. Some examples of those who have benefitted in my classes using this function: young children under 5 or 6, when sewing for a long span of time or sewing long straight lines, those with co-ordination difficulties, such as dyspraxia or dyslexia, sometimes those with ASD or ADHD and those that can’t reach the pedal, even on the little chairs! It’s also been helpful for when someone has hurt their foot. It’s most definitely a nice to have in most cases, but for some it makes all the difference.
3. Needle threader
Threading a needle on a machine is no different to threading it on a hand needle. It’s a tiny hole and a very fine thread that needs to be put through the hole. It can be tricky but once you get the knack, you’ve got it. There is a tool attached to some machines called an automatic needle threader, it basically assists threading the needle, making it less fiddly, quicker and less stressful! When there are 5 machines needing threading, it’s a great help. But again not a necessity. It’s bit like the needle threaders you can buy for hand sewing, where it has a bigger hole for you to put the needle in first then pull the thread through. It works in a similar way but pulls down from under the machine and away again for storage.
What the kids use in class
From my experience the kids mostly prefer to use the Janome 230DC machines in class. It’s what they’ve been taught on, it’s easy to use as I mention above and they can go super fast or slow as they desire and can take the pedal out if they get tired.
Then if they have to, because it’s a bigger class for example and only three 230DCs available (as I said they are expensive!), they will usually choose to use the John Lewis JL250 machine after the, because it is the most similar to it (but it doesn’t have auto stop/start, so they can’t take the pedal out when they get tired and it has a large reverse button on the front of the machine towards the bottom instead of a smaller one near the needle- which some children actually prefer because its nearer to where their hand naturally sits).
And lastly they opt for the manual model (and often quite reluctantly at first) – The Janome 219-S. The thread gets caught a fair bit more (As with any front loading bobbin – drop in bobbin is a more modern design and so much more efficient, but front loading is more like the original machines and works against gravity!) and they can’t use a button to bring the needle up- they have to use a hand wheel on the side. They can’t see easily if it has stopped sewing because the thread has ran out in the bobbin on the bottom and it takes a bit longer to thread. However, once they have used all the machines, they feel more confident using any of them. I specifically have the manual one as this is most likely the type of machine that they will be bought, as it is under £150 – a manual, front loading bobbin.
I have also created some videos and posted them on my Instagram to show you how to thread them up. If you don’t sew yourself it can feel quite daunting when you don’t know how to set up the machine. The children do get some experience in class of threading them up, but quite often due to the duration of the class, I thread the machines when the bobbin runs out, so they have more time to create. I of course talk then through what I am doing and the more they see me do it, the more familiar they are with what needs doing and the more confident they feel to try it themselves, with supervision at first then as and when it needs doing.
Your child’s new machine
If I know your child is getting a new machine for birthday or Christmas I always ask you to tell me which one so I can help them learn to thread the type of machine they will be using. I also ask you tell me which machine you opt for and how your child gets on with it after having it a while, to help build the recommendations I give to other parents. If you like it, I’ll tell others – especially if its cheaper or useful for those with specific requirements. Making the search much easier for parents like you, looking for machines for their children to continue their love of sewing at home.
Other brands.
There are many, many brands of sewing machine. I mentioned only 4. Janome, John Lewis, Brother and Singer. They are all well known, well-loved and easy to get hold of parts or find someone to repair them. There are however other brands. Some that have been around for a while – so you may come across them, especially second hand like Elna, Bernina or Toshiba.
There are those that are quite specialist like PFAFF which are much more high spec and fancy or more budget versions (but in some cases just as expensive as the top brands) like Hobbycraft own brand trying to take some of the market share. There are the likes of Silver, often found in ALDI and LIDL, that have all the functionality bells and whistles at a much cheaper price (And are often great until it breaks so may be not such great value but may be exactly what you need and in your budget, for right now). There also lots of Chinese models on amazon, which again seem to have lots of functions but when they break are hard to get replacement parts for etc.
For this reason I only really recommend the 4 I have done already, but that is not to say that others haven’t had a great experience with different brands. I can only comment on what I’ve experienced first-hand or researched myself, or from students passing on their feedback.
So whatever you choose, good luck and can’t wait to hear how you get on with it!
Machines to look at:
This area is a work in progress, I will add some links and more features over time as well as any notes from people that I know have them. But in the meantime you can use websites like Sewing Machines Direct www.sewingmachines.co.uk , John Lewis www.johnlewis.com and Frank Nutt www.franknutt.co.uk to compare and research.
We also have the very local Steve at Sewfine www.sewfine.co.uk based in Watford – he sells Janome, Elna and Bernina machines often cheaper than online and also services them. Heis very knowledgeable and happy to discuss a machine to suit your needs.
And Bilal based in Watford Highstreet sells Fabric at A&M Textiles but also does a basic sewing machine service too, a bit cheaper but less thorough.
MANUAL machines mostly, those that are COMPUTERISED are in blue.
Under £100
Brother L14s (top-loading bobbin)
Under £150
Janome 219-S - the one we have in class (front-loading bobbin)
Janome HC1200 (front-loading bobbin)
John Lewis 1100 (front-loading bobbin)
Under £200
Janome 4400 (front-loading bobbin)
Under £250
Brother SH40 (computerised, top loading bobbin, stop/start button, speed limiter)
Janome J3-18 (front-loading bobbin)
Under £300
Janome J3-20 (front-loading bobbin)
Janome J3-24 (front-loading bobbin)
Janome 7025 (front-loading bobbin)
Brother FS60X (Computerised, top loading bobbin, stop/start button, speed limiter- good reviews from a student I have previously recommended to)
Under £450
Janome 230DC – the main one we use in class (Computerised, top loading bobbin, stop/start button, speed limiter)
Janome 360 DC (Computerised, top loading bobbin, stop/start button, speed limiter)