What a wealth of information. Thank you! I guess since pretty much everyone thought the mini machine would be a piece of junk, I'll look for a regular size machine for her to use when I fly into Texas next week.
I sure appreciate everyones ideas!

I had to chuckle at this. Very same thing my GD told me "Memere this is my quilt and I like it this way". She wanted it the way it came out. LOL

I've taught many young girls to sew. I usually start with some sort of bag. Joanne's has some panels that are easy to cut and get the girl right on the machine. The second project i usually do is a simple garment that requires pinning and cutting. I have never used a "starter" machine, but I do put the speed on slow on the machine. Masking tape on the machine that goes from faceplate all the way down the front of the machine really helps keep the seams straighter.
Have fun!

Kids today are alot smarter technology wise than we were at there age and I haven't met a kid yet that is or has sewed on those mini machines with just a straight stitch. MY GD had one from her other GM and she hasn't used it but once or twice. Told me it was a piece of junk and wanted to learn to sew on a real machine. Kids look, listen and learn quicker than some of us adults when it comes to this stuff so you are making a wise choice.

You can go to a place like Walmart and get a decent machine at a very good price with several stiches on it. My GD uses the Brother SQ-9000 with 80 stich and also prefers to use the start/stop button than the foot pedal. She has better control of that than the foot pedal.

I would start with a small wall hanging too. My granddaughter has made two of them using Meryl Butler's book, Ninety Minute Quilts. I also bought her a White mini sewing machine and she now uses a small Kenmore machine I bought her from Sears. I hope she enjoys it as much as mine does.

Lucille

I am working with my grand daughter who is 10. She is making a quilt with scrapes of material and no color pattern. She is making it for herself and will be large enough for her cover up with. She is doing it in blocks of all sizes. I let her pick the colors and place them where she wants them. If the seams aren't straight, I help her and show her how to make them better. I always tell her, that everyone who makes quilts, makes mistakes and have to take seams out and do them over. I tell her she is doing a good job on her first quilt. It always bring a smile to her face to think I really like it.

I tried to teach my 54 yr old sister. OMG she really can't do a straight line. She hand sews curtains!

How Funny!

My granddaughter started with making bags and a small quilt using 5 inch squares that were pre cut

UPDATE ON THE SEWING WITH THE 10 YEAR OLD GRANDDAUGHTER

Well, Just back from Texas and I had a Janome mini sewing machine mailed down there. It was refurbished but I thought since it was Janome it would be good. The reviews on it were all good. Only 5 pounds. I ordered it form Best Buy.

Well, it was a day of frustration as Writerwoman and others of you had predicted. She sewed the lines on the sheet of paper with wonderful accuracy. She was very thrilled as she began to sew her pillow case. Unfortunately, the machine jammmed after sewing just a couple of inches. I worked with it for hours packing it away and then getting it out again and brushing it, tearing the bobbin apart, of course rethreading, searching for any loose threads etc.It would sew an inch and quit again. Jam up.
Finally, after calling all the sewing machine shops in the area and inquiring about their used machines (which were minimal), we went to Sears and bought a Singer Simple.
It was not the machine I wanted, but I didn't want to pay a fortune and I did want to make memories with her sewing.
Even though my wallet was hurting, my heart was singing as she sewed with concentration and felt successful.

(I took the Janome mini back to Best Buy and they easily refunded my money AND the shipping cost, the next evening)

She made two more pillow cases the following day. Went to the fabric store and she picked out material for pajama bottoms and insisted she could make the top too. We bought the material, which was a medium soft cotton knit.

I cut the material out for her,pinned it for her, even drew lines with disappearing ink until she became more competent.She was thrilled!!!!

She started on the pj top but soon became unhappy that she had to be careful and I finished that up for her.
I told her that many people have difficulty shirts and tops and that really was a project we could tackel as she practiced sewing.

She has decided she is making everyone a pillowcase for Christmas this year and I will be flying down to Texas in November to cheer her on.