Bringing back forgotten skills: five reasons that will convince you to start learning, or continue learning how to sew. 

I would like to preface this by saying that I am in the VERY beginning stages of learning how to sew. Like very, very beginning. I am still so unsure of myself whenever I go to use my sewing machine that often times I will keep the same color thread in because I am nervous to try to re-thread it. (i.e.: hemming my husband’s green Carhartt pants with white thread!) Insert embarrassed monkey emoji…. Its not difficult! I’m just not yet comfortable with the process and the basics. But by-golly I plan to learn!

I have a lot of memories of my mom using her old sewing machine when I was growing up. If you ask her, she will tell you that she’s not that great at sewing, but I know better. She’s sewn homemade stockings for all of her children, each picturing some sort of Christmas story and not a single detail left out, hemmed I don’t know how many pair of jeans, added sleeves to dresses, threaded on lost buttons, and even sewed her own bedding set when she was first married. I have always been inspired by her creativity, ingenuity, and resourcefulness. When I got my own sewing machine for Christmas I was very excited to have her pass down her knowledge and skills to me. There are so many reasons why I want to learn how to sew, and why I think everyone should give it a try, these are just a few!

Encourages Handmade Gifts

Some of my favorite gifts I have been given were handmade. With a knowledge in sewing, you’ll open up a door to a plethora of handmade gift ideas that you can start making for the special people in your life. It will mean much more to them knowing that you spent the time and energy sewing the perfect gift for them. Think, homemade aprons for your mom and MIL on Mother’s Day, hand-sewn stockings for your nieces and nephews at Christmas, a homemade, jean quilt for your brother on his birthday, the options are endless! I am confident that your friends and family will appreciate and love a hand-sewn gift just as much if not more than a store bought one.

Sparks Creativity

At Back Road Bloom we believe everybody can use a little creativity in their lives. Though its easy to view creativity as crafting with paper and hot glue guns and markers, its a lot more than that. Its about ingenuity and thinking outside the box; its about challenging ourselves to create something new and unique and personal to us. Learning how to sew will encourage you to think creatively in a variety of ways, from deciding what to sew to the choice of fabric and the stitching, and all of the details in between. You don’t have to ‘be creative’ to learn. Just put in the time and the practice and you will be surprised by how much your creative muscles are stretched and flexed.

Encourages Sustainability

Of course, in our day and age you don’t need to sew your own clothing, fabrics, and handmade items, although there were times when people did. You can get anything you need at your local store. Even so, knowing that you have the ability to sustain yourself and your family by being able to sew everyday necessities can feel so fulfilling. You wouldn’t need to rely on someone or something else to fulfill this necessity in your life if it came down to it. Working to promote sustainability can help us to feel more empowered and confident in ourselves.

Promotes Resourcefulness

Along the same lines as sustainability, learning to sew can help you to be more resourceful, as well as save money. Instead of heading to the store to purchase a new pair of jeans because your old ones ripped, you might do a quick Pinterest search of how to patch jeans and pull out your trusty sewing machine instead. Learning how to sew will help you to be more resourceful with your belongings. It will help you to use what you have, and use what you know, to make things work. Resourcefulness is the ability to find quick and clever ways to fix your problems. The more often you turn to use your own sewing machine to fix an issue that you have (torn shirt, missing button, holey jeans, no apron when you want/need one) the more skilled and efficient you’ll become at it.

Allows for More Customization

Have you ever seen something at the store and loved it… but wished it was just slightly different? Maybe, longer, a different pattern, a cuter style, or a slimmer fit? When you know how to sew you can make hand-sewn items EXACTLY how you want them and customize them to your own preferences. You get to choose the fabric, the texture, and the style. I remember in high school when my sister and I would go dress shopping for Homecoming or Prom, there were times when we would find a dress we loved, but not in the right size. I remember one year, buying a dress that was probably 3-4 sizes too big for me, and my mom simply hemmed it down to size so that it would fit better. I’m so thankful that she knew how to sew and that she was able to do that for me so that I could wear the dress I loved. If you have sewing as a skill in your repertoire, you too will be able to customize all of your fabric and materials into something that’s PERFECT for you or a loved one.

Do you know how to sew? Do you want to learn? I would love to share more posts with you all as I learn the basics myself. Is there anything specific with regards to sewing that you’ve been dying to learn?! Let me know in the comments below!

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