My sewing machine and I have a difficult relationship. I love all the wonderful things I can make on her and the way her stitches are so nice and pretty. I love the pitter-patter of the motor turning over the thread, however the thread is where my singer and I are always in a constant argument! It catches, it bunches, it breaks. Oh man there is nothing more infuriating than threading a needle on your machine when all you want to do is hem a pair of pants or close a pillow. HOWEVER, even though we may fight, learning how to sew is one of the most important trades that any person can learn even in our technologically advanced age. Not only that, but it's coming back as a trend with all the DIY projects out there. Kids as well as adults are feeling the need to learn this art, and now Spinmaster Toys has a great product to introduce your child or tween into the field.
They've produced the Sew Cool series that is a great way for your child to learn the fundamentals of the sewing machine, without the annoying thread part. Sew Cool is a great and inexpensive way to teach your child the basics of a sewing machine, and let them show their creative side as well, especially in an age where home economics will soon be a thing of the past in school curriculum.
This is a quite amazing machine and is small enough to fit on a child's desk and light enough to store. Its three needle system is encased in a hard plastic cover with only enough room for the Sew Cool Fabric to slide underneath, keeping little fingers safe while creating their masterpiece. There is no thread needed since this unique system uses three needles that pull and twist the fibers of the felt in such a way that they form a perfect seam. Also there are only two buttons on the machine, one blue and one button-shaped, The button-shaped button (yes it is very sweet) runs the motor and the needles like an on/off switch. The other blue button on the back gives you the option to reverse the traction and go over your seam to secure it, just like on a real sewing machine! I love, love, love, this option.
The Set comes with all you need (minus the batteries) for your child to start their projects from the minute they open up the box. Besides the unit itself, you will find 8 sheets of the Sew Cool Fabric, 3 pre-cut projects, 3 pop out pattern sheets, 14 decorative fabric pieces, one small bag of stuffing and 8 snap buttons. The projects that are included are perfect for getting your child on their feet while increasing with difficulty as they move on. The first projects are two pre-cut designs, an owl and a cupcake. They have dotted lines for you to follow so when you feed them in the machine you know exactly where to place the seam. Great for everyone to get a feel of how the machine works. The second is a small purse, pre-cut as well and ready for you to invert and sew together. There are no dotted lines to follow here! The third introduces your child to a paper pattern. The pattern pushes right out of the paper so there are no scissors needed other than to cut the fabric. After you complete those projects your child is ready to go on creating their own projects or, with the help of a parent, can go on the Sew Cool website and print out projects that are provided there.
This is a great beginning to what can be a long love of the craft of sewing. The machine's set up is perfect to teach your child the fundamentals of the art, without frustrating them with the annoyance of the thread issues that they'll once they move onto a more intricate knowledge of the craft. This is a great hand's on approach that has enough work to give your child a good experience, but is also short enough to give them that wonderful feeling of accomplishment when they have their finished product in their hand. Sew Cool is a very well thought out, and well made product that is not some cheap toy that will break after a couple of uses. Your child will have the means to design countless projects, and really get a feel for what sewing is.
I do have two suggestions that I feel can improve the product, however very minor. First maybe some more neutral colors for the machine, as well as the fabric since boys like to sew as well! Also the fabric really does not need to have "Sew Cool" on it and for me personally, it takes some of the personalization of the child's creation away for advertisement purposes. Those two tiny things aside, this is a great toy and Spin Master hit this one out of the park! Great job guys and I look forward to seeing more of this line, as well as and buying it for every little soon-to-be sewer I know!
**** I received this product for review- however our opinions are our own! If we do not like it, we do not write about it!*****
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