Used sewing machines for kids

If you don't have enough money to buy a new sewing machine but you still want your kid to practice sewing on a real sewing machine, you can buy a used one. Look for used machines in your newspaper ads or online at an auction site, but you need to know that shipping the machine to your house can get expensive due to the weight.

These some things that you should keep in mind if you're buying a used sewing machine for your kid :

• The machine should be examined by a sewing machine service professional, and that helps to keep the thing oiled and cleaned so it will stay in good working order.

• To be sure that little fingers are safe from coming in contact with the sharp equipment, you'd better buy a needle protector if it's available  for your machine.

• The weight of the machine can be a problem, especially if your child will not have a dedicated sewing station. So, you need to look for a machine that is lightweight. Older machines are often very heavy, making them hard for children to use. 

You are confused by the jargon ?

The glossary below should help you to make better sense of the technical terms if they seem a little hard to understand :

Bobbin : It's a small spool for holding thread. Before you begin sewing, the thread is wound onto the bobbin, then flitted into a bobbin case and put into place.You should know that sewing machines use two threads to make a stitch ( the bobbin thread and the needle thread ).

Free arm : It works by detaching a piece on the base of the machine, leaving the arm protruding. It's a cylinder on the bed of the machine that allows you to sew items like sleeves and trouser legs.

Stitch selector : It's a dial that allows you to select different stitch types on basic machines. On computerized machines this is done on general by pressing a key.

Knee lifter : very useful for quilting, sewing around curves, it's a lever which can be pressed with you knee. It allows you to lift the presser foot and drop the feed dogs without taking your hands off the work. 

Presser foot : You can find different models of this tool, every one has it's own job. It hold the fabric in place against the feed dogs so that it doesn't move about while you are sewing.