Someone recently emailed me about buying her 4-year-old a toy sewing machine. I started writing a response but somehow ran into a brick wall.I wanted to recommend getting a Janome Sew Mini and also purchasing a finger guard attachment. You see I bought my daughter a Singer Chain Stitch Machine last year and was really disappointed in it. Not only was it battery operated but it has no bobbin so your stitches will just pull out if you do not knot the ends somehow. Just inconvenient.
Now that she's 5 I think she wants something that can actually sew. She's really into making pockets and talking about sewing them onto our clothes. I thought she might get a kick out of sewing some bean bags.
But back to my problem....The one thing I did like about the Chain Stitch machine was that it had a plastic casing covering the needle. I still wouldn't feel safe leaving Lily alone with a 'real' sewing machine that didn't have some kind of finger guard. I wanted to recommend the better machine to my reader. However, after at least an hour of scouring sites I couldn't find anything on the internet about finger guard attachments. It seemed like such a practical, reasonable request.
Soooo, I thought I'd send this question out into the blogosphere and see if one of you good readers might know of anything along those lines.
If someone can successfully suggest an attachment or better solution, they will be receiving a special surprise package from me. Nothing too fantastic but a nice thank you.
I'll be keeping my fingers crossed!
Like not spending money? 
17 {comments}:
I received the Land of Nod magazine a few weeks back and as soon as my dd flipped through it she immediately asked for their sewing machine. My dh wasn't keen on the idea at all, so thank you for bringing up that some machines have finger guards. The Land of Nod version passes two requirements, functions with an AC adaptor and has a bobbin case; however, it does not have a finger guard. I too hope someone posts the perfect solution. I would love to buy one for my dd given it is one of two things she has requested.
http://www.landofnod.com/family.aspx?c=3144&f=4895
I haven't acutally tried this one.
This one says that it will keep little fingers out with a special presser foot.
Or this one looks like the same thing much cheaper.
I had a little pink singer when I was a child, but I don't remember much about it.
Honestly, I say go for a real machine both of my girls have been sewing on real machine since they were 5. Note this isn't my machine but a Brother BC100 from Target for about $100. It has nice simple drawings on the buttons and beeps to remind the girls they forgot a step - presser foot usually. It also has speed control (limits) and can sew without a pedal which I think helped the girls focus on the work on the machine rather than trying to coordinate their foot and take their eyes off the fabric. They have always respected the needle and we have never had an incident. Now they are 7 & 9 and show their friends how to sew on the machine, all on their own. I am all for empowering the kids with real equipment since the kid versions are usually so limiting and frustrating, all the joy is zapped out the experience.
Singer makes a finger guard
http://www.singerco.com/accessories/notions_all.html
No indication whether it fits non-Singer machines, though.
I am curious about why you'd want to leave her alone with an electric sewing machine. (My parenting philosophy - I have a 1.5-yr-old - is that no protective equipment can truly substitute for direct supervision.) Why not sew together instead?
what a great post...santa has hidden a janome sew mini in the trunk of my minivan. i hadn't thought of a finger guard. you might very well have saved us a digit or two. thanks for putting it out there!
I hadn't thought about buying a real sewing machine for my daughter. This mini Janome sewing machine seems to be the perfect price and size for kids.
http://www.overstock.com/Crafts-Sewing/Janome-Sew-Mini-Sewing-Machine/3654717/product.html?cid=123620&fp=F&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=11718195
Janome also makes a see through finger guard for their FM-725. I wonder if the finger guard would fit the mini machine.
I just sent them an email.
As one who accidently sewed her daughters finger once (long scary story) I didn't expect her to ever go near a sewing machine again. But she's begging for one this year. Since I have 3 perfectly good sewing machines that I'm not yet ready to let her experience, I went with the little singer this year. It's the pink that really attracts her and hopefully the safety measures which also make it not so great a machine will help teach her to be careful and then she can graduate to one of my machines. Good luck finding something that works for your daughter. It's so fun when they latch on to the things we love.
Great post, I actually never considered kids sewing at this young age (I don't have kids of my own yet and no one in my family who has kids is a sewer but I am).
I don't usually comment but wanted to comment because I noticed you changed your format so my google reader only gets a summary post now :(
I just bought my daughter a sewing machine last week for Christmas and I never even thought about these things - even it possible being battery powered! lol I will have to take a closer look at it. Great post!
I have had so much frustration with the child's sewing machine we got my daughter, I would definitely say a REGULAR simple sewing machine is the way to go. It will work better and last longer. And if it's not cute enough you could decorate it with a few pretty stickers.
I have to agree with going with a regular machine. My now 7 year old daughter has been sewing on my machine since she was 4.5 and has had no trouble with the needle. The machine is obviously must more exciting than a toy one because it can do fancy stitches. I have just taught her that she must be really careful not to put her fingers near the needle while it is sewing and to sew slowly so the fabric doesn't get away from her.
I cannot wait to hear what kind of solutions you get for this.
My 8 year old was sewing this past summer and the worst happened. The needle went thru her very small index finger and as she jerked away, broke off inside. She was 3 hours from home, with my Aunt. A trip to urgent care and then a painful and scary drive home to a local surgeon, for removal. Absoultly horrible experience. But she wants to sew again. I need some kind of guard even just for my onw peice of mind!
Janome just emailed back saying they don't make a finger guard for the sew mini.
So glad you posted this. I have the exact same dilemma. I get one of those chain stitch machines and returned it the same day... what a disappointment. I wish that someone made a child size machine that comes with a guard.... my daughter is really intimidated by the adult size machines.
É uma pena! Os fabricantes de máquina não pensam nas crianças. Eu comprei para minha filha de 5 anos uma Janone mini e estou adorando. Eu quando criança prendi meu dedo várias vezes na máquina de costura.
(Flickr - Alexsandra Brito arts and Crfts)
Alexsandra.golden@gmail.com
I don't know if you are still wanting comments on this, but I am in the same situation. We brought a toy machine linke you mentioned (chain stitch) and it has never worked properly and I would like her to have a proper one, her dad thinks different.
I went onto eBay and put "sewing machine finger guard" into the search. And you can buy them. They look like they are for screw on feet, but you may be able to work it out if you have clip on feet. On eBay UK they are starting as little as 55p (ex postage)! Just got to get daddy to be happy with it!
Post a Comment