Can one sewing machine serve 25 kids?
Our position, and the club-vs-class distinction.
Our position
Same rule as the cardboard saws: a single machine creates a queue that kills the activity. Two machines is the minimum, four is better. If the budget forces a single machine in Year 1, accept that this is an after-school club tool, not a classroom tool, and run it that way.
Other voices
Reputable sources worth reading before you decide. Labels reflect our honest read of each source's general stance, not direct quotes.
FACS / Family and Consumer Sciences teacher guidance
Broadly agreesThe FACS educator community has long said that sewing requires hands-on time per kid, which bottlenecks on machine count. Classroom vs. club is a real design difference.
Station-rotation classroom models
Nuanced / mixedSome teachers run a rotation: sewing station, cutting station, design station, with kids rotating through. This works with one machine and a well-designed room. Hard to execute without real planning.
After-school sewing clubs
Pushes backAfter-school clubs with 8-12 kids and one machine are totally viable. This is our exact 'treat it as a club' carve-out.