Want to save money and create a unique style for yourself? Learning how to sew is both practical and a way to explore your creative side. Read on as LA and online teacher Iris B. explains why everyone should learn this valuable skill…
People learn to sew for all sorts of reasons, from a desire to express their creativity, to save money, to even just the need to learn a new skill. I’ve had a life-long love affair with sewing and it’s a skill I think everyone should have. It’s never too late to learn, and as long as your hands can hold a needle and thread, it’s never too early. Here are some of the reasons I think sewing is something everyone should know how to do.
Get Creative
Is there a special event coming up in your life: a wedding, prom, or even just a costume party? With the knowledge of how to make your own clothes you can create custom garments that suit you for any occasion. The other bonus? Your outfit will be one of a kind! I made my wedding dress when I married the love of my life and it was such a joy to create something beautiful and unique for our big day. Is Halloween on the horizon? When you learn to sew, you can come up with a creative costume and make it a reality.
Save Money
Are those jeans you just bought too long? Did the zipper on your favorite dress just bust? Did moths make a lunch out of your warmest winter sweater? Do you have an important presentation at work but a button is missing from your blazer? If you have basic sewing skills you can easily and quickly do your own alterations and repairs instead of running to the tailor. Your clothes will fit better and they will last longer, too. Once you know some basics about sewing, you’ll start noticing the craftsmanship in the clothes in the store. Your knowledge of garment construction and fabric quality will help you make better and lasting wardrobe purchases.
Be Green
Anyone will tell you: things used to be made better. Before there were massive overseas factories and clothing that falls apart after one wash, garments used to be made to last, sometimes being passed down from one generation to the next. With sewing skills you can source your own fabrics from green manufacturers, you can use environmentally friendly dyes to make your own special shades, and you can also increase the life of the clothing in your closet by doing your own repairs and alterations. The longer clothes last in your closet, the less clothes end up in a landfill.
Feel Connected
Sewing is a social activity! Get together with some friends and make a fun project together. Start a sewing circle or throw a quilting bee! Embroidery and embellishments are some of my favorite things to do with friends. Sewing is also a skill you can teach your friends or loved ones, and making your own clothes is a great conversation starter. When someone compliments you on your cool threads you can proudly say, “Thanks, I made it!” Sewing has also brought me a closer connection to my space and the things that I own. I make my own clothes, curtains, pillows, comforters; you name it! I love being able to look around my home and see the things that I’ve made and know that they are going to last.
Everyone (Even Guys) Need to Know How to Sew
Let’s say you have an important interview and you pull your best suit out of the closet: one of the hems on the leg of your slacks has come undone. You can either rummage for some tape or (this is my dad’s favorite) find a stapler for a quick fix and hope that no one notices the sloppy job. But if you know how to sew a blind hem, it takes 10 minutes and your suit is ready to impress. Need some curtains in your new place? You can find fabric you love and make custom curtains to help you feel at home. Sewing is for everyone! Even Spiderman made his own costume.
Are You Ready to Learn to Sew?
Sewing used to be a skill that most people knew how to do. It was a necessity, a part of life, a way to solve your own problems, and a way to express creativity. In recent years with the advent of disposable clothing, busier lives, and the lack of good instruction, sewing skills are not taught or passed on. Let’s change that trend together. Whether you have an ambitious sewing project or just want to learn how to take care of your clothes, sewing can help you reach those goals. I hope I’ve shown you just a few of the compelling reasons I think everyone should know how to sew.
Iris teaches sewing lessons in Los Angeles, California. She started sewing on her Grandmother’s Singer when she was thirteen years old. Iris attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago to study fashion design with an emphasis in costume. She’s been working as a costume designer for film, commercials and theater for the past 10 years. She joined the TakeLessons team in April of 2014. Learn more about Iris here!
Photo by normanack
Suzy S.