OUR SEWING SUPPLIES GIFT GUIDE

A question we are asked often is, “What kind of sewing supplies should I get my child who is showing an interest to sew at home? Given 22 years of teaching kids to sew, below is listed what we have found best for kids interested in the art of sewing.

In the studio we have 10 Brother sewing machines. After 20 years of having kids use several different brands of sewing machines, we have found Brother Sewing Machines to be the best for children to sew on. Here are our top picks and why.

The Brother XR9550 is our absolute favorite machine because it features the 3 speed control which most of our younger students use the slow or medium control, and our older student use the slower controls often when sewing something difficult. Secondly, it has a button that automatically puts the needle up and down, which will put the needle in the exact position needed for your best sewing experience. Third, this machine offers the most extra embroidery stitches!

Our second favorite is something like the CS700X machine. It has almost the same features as the XR9550 except it has way embroidery choices. I  do not like the fact that this machine has the tension button close to where the students thread the machine. Having it there it could easily be turned and touched. I do not let children touch the tension button, until they are much older or have been sewing with me for 4-5 years.

The other Brother machine we have in the studio is the CS5055PRW. This is definitely the least expensive machine, BUT we are slowly getting rid of these because they do not offer the speed control or the needle up and down option, and they only have 50 stitches. It is a good machine, but it does not have the extras that I look for in a machine to teach children.

Seam Ripper, Tape Measure, Clips, Tailors Chalk and more.

This is a PERFECT group of necessities every sewist needs!

SEW BY NUMBER: Learn to Sew Kits:

Check out our Sew By Number: Learn to Sew Kits for children!

Magnetic Sewing Pincushion

Here at the studio this is the only pincushion we use. These are heavier than the cheaper ones found at stores like wal-mart, and they hold pins on better because they have a much stronger magnet. Trust us, it’s not worth it to go cheaper for a pincushion.

Extra Pins You May Need

Scissors, everyone needs a good pair of scissors!

Our scissors in the studio run about $15-$25 each. I do not buy expensive scissors for the studio where kids will be cutting fabric, paper, card stock, ribbon, pipe cleaners, boning, and other craft supplies. So in the studio we use average sewing scissors. I personally have a wonderful pair of shears, but that is for myself and instructors only. If your child is a serious sewist, I suggest the best scissors below, if your child is young and just beginning, I suggest the less inexpensive pair below.