Allison Hall
Commonly, sewing is said to be boring, and too much work, but, in reality, it’s beneficial and easy. The machine tends to be the scary part, but in actuality a switch is flipped to turn on the machine and light, a pedal is pushed, and hands are kept away from the needle. It only takes slight guidance for fabric to stay on track under the needle. Things such as the patterns for your project and the speed of the needle and/or machine work on a level scale meaning that if something seems too difficult there are typically alternatives to that process.
The sequence can be lengthy, but fun if you make it your own. It usually starts with cutting a pattern, which can be store bought or self-made, cutting the patterns from the fabric, and then lining the fabric edges up so as to know what to sew together. When it comes to the act, the only major technical things in relation to the machine are the needle position, stitch width, stitch length and seam length (seam meaning the stitch combining your fabric). All of these are located on the machine and are spelled out fairly simply. For needle position, stitch width, and stitch length it’s only a matter of choosing what suits you or what is listed on the pattern’s “how to” chart. You would then move the dial to the corresponding number, letter, or symbol, depending on the machine’s details. When it comes to seam length, the machine is marked with measurements to indicate how much fabric should be from the edge to the seam and most of the time that would be entirely up to you. One of the greatest things about sewing is that a lot of it remains up to you.
Aside from the machine, there is also hand sewing, which, admittedly, I don’t know all too much about, but I do know from experience that it is just as much fun and easy. Typically with hand sewing it will take much longer and there are a lot of things you cannot do with it that you could do with a machine like fixing certain holes or sewing anything bigger, such as a purse or a shirt. However, both are fine ways of art and relaxation.
If the incredible ease of sewing is not convincing enough, consider the benefits. Creating garments for oneself tends to be cheaper than purchasing them in the end, and everyone likes to save money. That’s part of the reason that it’s for everyone rather than specific groups. Another reason remains that there’s nothing particularly feminine about clothing or the making thereof. Everyone wears them and sewing would not be here if it were not for men. In fact the first patent for a sewing machine was made by a man, Thomas Saint, in 1790. Relative to gender roles and self-expression, it is also valuable that so many things can be made by means of sewing. Creation ranges from underwear to full outfits as well as everyday items like pillows, wallets, or teddy bears. Patterns for all sorts of things are rather easy to find. There are tons of free pattern designs all over the internet. Pinterest is a very good website for finding unique patterns. It shows a wide variety of sites where patterns are available. There are certain patterns that you will not be able to find free online, but the different options ensure that there are always possibilities of finding an alternative.
The possibilities of individuality and self-accomplishment are endless. You have the ability to design anything and eventually, once acquainted enough with the skill, you may even be able to create your own patterns to follow. Along with that, or maybe even before, you could use specialized machines that allow for even bigger accomplishments. There are some that do astounding things just short of sewing for you and are highly technical, calling for great detail meant for the expert seamstress, seamster, or tailor; however, there are also machines or even handheld equipment that make it fun, like buttonhole accessories, which is exactly what it sounds like.
Some machines even act as easy to use embroidery machines (embroidery meaning that it has the capabilities of stitching designs onto the project). In most cases these machines are only technical as far as having touchscreen capabilities, therefore, you would just put in what you wanted the machine to design onto your fabric and watch the magic happen. There are patches, buttons, trinkets, and so much more that can be added to whatever you want, therefore making it a successful product made by you to be proud of, which is truly the benefit of sewing.
It is something simply done that can produce vast amounts of self-gratification as well as prove to be useful in future endeavors. If your destiny does not call for needlecraft then it is at least one more thing you can say you have under your belt, or maybe even use as a lovely conversational piece. Who does not like to have a fun fact or at least a comment on something seemingly arbitrary?