Why Do I Sew?

Tomorrow we are having a quilting night with the Young Women ages 12-17 in our church. I'm so excited about it. I feel strongly that sewing is a skill that people should learn and the earlier you learn the better. So I've been thinking over the last couple of days why I feel that way. Why is it so important to me?

I come from a long line of sewers. I think a better term for them would be seamstresses. My Granny, Mom, Aunts. They all sew. My Mother is seriously phenomenal. A lot of times she doesn't even need a pattern. I remember when we were shopping for my wedding dress I tried on the perfect dress at Neiman Marcus. She looked at it and said "I can do that". The next day we went to the LA Fashion District bought all the fabric for $85 and a few months later I had the perfect most flawless gown. To say she is talented is an understatement.

Sadly I didn't tap into her immense amount of knowledge earlier. My interest in sewing didn't peak until a few years ago when Miss. S was born. I always just took advantage of the fact that my Mom is so amazing. After Miss. S came into my life all of a sudden there were so many things I wanted to make for her. Luckily I had picked up a few really basic skills from her to get myself started. The rest is up to me as she lives in Utah and I live in Texas. It has been a pretty hard road. With a lot of successes but a lot of frustration as well. I still feel like I'm just beginning every time I sit down at my machine and I always always make mistakes. It's all part of the learning process I suppose. I have a lot to learn still. I don't think I would continue if I didn't feel like it was important. And the feeling you get after you've completed a project is priceless. It feels so good.

I feel like sewing is one of those skills that was past down from generation to generation through Mothers and Daughters. Some where along the way a lot of Mothers stopped teaching their children this art form. I think it's kind of sad. Good news is I see a renewed interest in sewing that is spreading once again. There are so many things that you can do with sewing. Even if you only know how to sew a straight line. With a straight line you can sew pillows, curtains, hem pants and make baby blankets. Learning to sew can save you money and it keeps you from being limited to what is sold on the shelves in stores. To me sewing is a way of creating something from nothing. It is a creative outlet that has endless possibilities. It is an invaluable skill to learn. Having a basic knowledge of sewing is beneficial for so many reasons. If you don't know how to sew I encourage you to learn a few of the basics. I think once you start learning you won't want to stop.