I started sewing because our mom sewed and just wanted to try it. The reasons why change all the time. As a teenager I sewed for the creativity. I mostly made dresses for dances because I never really liked what was in the stores. And it was much cheaper to sew my own.
I didn't sew all through college and the first years of marriage. I just wasn't into it, but once I got pregnant with my first baby I got the bug again. I love seeing the girls in something I've made them. It is just so satisfying. I guess I've gotten sentimental about it. I want them to have things that their mom made them. I also like that they are one of kind items and almost always better quality than what I buy for them. And there's still the creative part that I love. Deciding on fabric, cutting, the whole process.
Emily:
I started out sewing as a little girl because mom sewed. It was fun and I loved turning fabric into something useful and pretty. As a teenager the only thing I remember sewing were dresses and skirts for church and dances. I had to sew those things because I couldn't find skirts long enough for my liking and dance dresses that weren't strapless/sleeveless. Besides, I could make a dress that was different from all my friends and for WAY less money. That always made me feel good.
When I was newly married (and dirt poor!) I made a few things for my babies, but mostly I made table clothes, curtains, pillows, anything for my house that I didn't have the money to buy. My sewing has evolved over the years based on the things I like at the time. Obviously now I am making quilts more than anything, but I still enjoy making clothes and home goods. The bottom line is: I enjoy creating in fabric no matter the project!
Renae:
I am pretty sure that sewing started for me because even as a younger person I wasn't able to find clothes that fit. Currently I am 6'2" tall, but I have been at least 6' tall since I was 15 years old. And for most of those teen years I weighed about 120 lbs. Yeah, think major beanpole. (Oh to be closer to that weight now.....sigh....O.K. moving on.) I'm reliving some of that again with my almost 14 yr. old daughter who is currently 5'11".
However, what started out as a necessity has turned into something that I really love to do. I sew to get better fitting clothes and to have more modest clothing than what I could buy. I sew because I love to create things. That probably has turned out to be the main reason I sew--Creativity! It doesn't hurt to know that I won't be seen in the same outfit as someone else. I also sew because I love the challenge of being able to duplicate something I've seen and do it better (unfortunately there is some shoddy workmanship sold out there in stores), or less expensively. Hubby says I'm an addict----probably true, but there could be worse vices.
So why do you sew?
Yesterday as I was struggling to make a skirt for my daughter I asked myself "Why am I doing this?!!"
ReplyDeleteBut I love being able to take some yardage and transform it into something pretty and useful. And it is a challenge. I'm still a beginner, so it's fun to learn new things.
I started sewing when I was a teenager too, but not from my mom. She doesn't sew at all (never has) but her three daughters do.
ReplyDeleteI sew now for a variety of reasons. To make cute dresses for my girls for church, to save money (mending/refashioning/curtains), for a creative outlet (quilting, to make one-of-a-kind gifts.
I sew for many reasons. I love being creative and feel artistic when I make quilts. I like the ability to buy an article of clothing that may be the only size left and it is too big. I can then take it in to fit me. I like seeing things in the stores and making them myself for a fraction of the price.
ReplyDeleteI hate seeing shorts or shirts in the store, for me or my boys and the stripes are not matched up at the seems, maybe only 1/2" off but still... I know it is doable and think it's just mass produced and lazy.