My personal sewing time is scarce because of a few projects we’re finishing up, and I need to make the most of it if I’m going to have anything made in time for spring (and a trip to Palm Springs in a week or so!).

A few of you mentioned an interest in this same theme, so here are a few thoughts about the topic.

photo by Laurie Frankel (un-used image from Little Things to Sew)

Ideas for more efficient sewing

1. If you’re able, cut out several projects at once so they’re ready for you when you have time to sew. When we’re not too busy, I sometimes take an afternoon or a few hours on a weekend to cut out several projects in advance. That way I’m ready to go when I finally have time to sew. Make cutting an enjoyable process by putting on some dance music to keep you going, and you could even invite a friend to join you so you can help each other cut out your fabrics and have fun in the process.
2. Gather all your materials before you start. It’s easiest to keep moving on a project if you don’t need to stop to find the right thread, buttons, or elastic. Once I cut out my fabric, I like to assemble all the notions for that project and put everything together in a large Ziploc bag so it’s ready for me when I’m ready to sew. If I’m missing anything I make a list and put it in my wallet so I can remember what I need when I’m at the fabric store. (And if you follow tips 1 and 2 together, you’ll have time to gather the missing items before you start sewing that project!)
3. Set up your sewing area so everything is convenient for you to sew efficiently. This doesn’t mean that you need a large sewing space. At home I sew in a tiny converted closet, so I keep a sleeve board and an iron next to my sewing machine. Rather than getting up to move to the ironing board (which is way over by the kitchen, about as far from my sewing machine as I can get in our apartment), I simply use the sleeve board when I need to press a seam or an edge. It saves lots of time and allows me to stay at the sewing machine. (Sometimes I get a little crazy and sew with the sleeve board on my lap so my sewing space is pretty much directly in front of me and I’m using very little movement to switch from sewing to pressing, but that’s a little obsessive and usually only happens if I’m in a serious hurry, I admit it.)
4. If you don’t have a dedicated sewing space, find a place to store your sewing materials together where you can easily get them out and quickly put them away again when you’re done. For a long time I sewed at the dining room table, and I kept my sewing machine and supplies in a large cabinet right next to the table so I could set up and take down my pop-up sewing studio in a matter of minutes.
5. Sometimes when you’re familiar with the steps involved in making a project you can set yourself up to sew multiple steps at the same time. For example, I often get everything ready to assemble the collar, make the pockets and sew the belt for a pattern all in one go. Then I move away from the sewing machine to press the seam allowances and set up my next little sewing binge. Note, however, that this usually works best if you’re already familiar with the sewing steps in a pattern, so be sure you’ve read through the pattern in advance and are familiar with the steps involved. If you’re a less experienced sewist you might want to wait until you’ve sewn the pattern once or twice before you attempt this. You need to be able to think methodically about the construction method to make this step work, so be careful you don’t overwhelm yourself and get confused.
6. I’ve said many times before, but one trick that works best for me is to set up the next seam before I quit sewing for the day. I don’t sew that seam, but it’s waiting for me the next time I sit down. This means that it’s easy for me to pick up again where I left off. I don’t need to think about what step comes next because it’s already waiting for me. Doing this helps to refresh my memory about what comes next, and it also helps me to jump back into sewing without reservations. I often sew just a seam or two a night, but I’m still making progress even with that very limited amount of sewing time.

Do you have any additional tips to share? I’d love to hear what strategies work well for you!

I loved this topic and immediately contacted her asking if she would like to write a blog post about it. So now I’d like to introduce you to Tamara Kowald.

Tamara was born in Perth but raised in country Western Australia and now lives on a farm inland from Geraldton in the Midwest with her husband and two children. Since about the age of ten, sewing has been an important part of her life. She is sure it is “in the blood” as countless generations of her family have taken to needle and thread for work and pleasure.

Since receiving her first sewing machine at 18, Tamara hasn’t looked back and now spends alot of her sewing time, machine sewing rather than needleworking which is her first love. Tamara loves working with natural fiber fabrics and exploring new options to create different elements that compliment the patterns she works with. Although not completely self taught, Tamara learned the majority of her sewing knowledge through books and by watching and conversing with other sewists.

Here’s her post.

I’ve been spending some time just recently, researching some of my family history and throughout this time, I’ve been thinking about how the women in my family have viewed and valued the skill of sewing. I’ve always wondered whether they saw this as a chore or if they actually liked to sit and stitch beautiful things for their homes and families.

Whichever way, you look at it, throughout history, women have viewed sewing as a valuable skill to be used in a myriad of ways. Prior to the industrial revolution, women conducted their sewing by hand and made everything from linen to clothing and in between. Even after, during the two world wars, women entered the workforce and used their sewing skills to make parachutes and uniforms for their men along with all the other sewing at home. Women had no choice but to make things as the motto goes during the Depression “Make do and mend.”

In some cases these periods in our recent history would have been difficult. Could this have changed some women’s attitudes somewhat today?

I had a brief conversation with the home economics teacher at my local school this morning and she was saying that her 8th grade students needed to be taught the simplest of sewing skills, simply because most of them didn’t even know what a sewing machine looked like! She also offered information about the younger generations of her own family who are grown and how they don’t mend or sew anything. They pass the things that require mending onto her!

Why is it that only some of each generation continue this most valued and often unappreciated skill?

Looking back into my own family history, I have always known that within my mother’s family, the women were almost born with a needle and thread in their hands. Whatever undertaking they had been assigned to in their lives, they still took time out to work the needle and thread and later (once it was invented and readily available) utilised the sewing machine.

I have memories of my childhood where I was desperately trying to make a dress for my Barbie doll and I was attempting to do the humble blanket stitch. I was about 10 years old at the time and not allowed to go near the sewing machine. It was my paternal grandmother, the one who couldn’t sew a stitch that helped me master this most simple start to what has become such an important part of my life. Later on, my other grandmother (the one whose own mother was a professional seamstress) showed me how to lay out a pattern and cut it out. I could never work out why she didn’t sew more clothing when she knew so much.

For some of us, it was our mothers who paved the way. But for me it was these two most inspiring women who sowed the seed that has grown into a passion.

I found out later why my grandma didn’t sew clothing and the reason to this was because she didn’t like doing the everyday type clothes sewing. She would however, make a dress once a year for my mum to wear to the annual local show (fair).

When I’ve discussed the topic of sewing with my friends, they have quite mixed reactions. Some of them learned to sew in school and had been taught by their own mothers but they seem to have put their enjoyment for sewing aside to make way for other things. In short, they claim they have “no time” to sew.“

Finding the time is always a potential problem but if our attitudes to sewing reflect our need to sew, then, we would make the time and effort to sew. It’s simple!

I don’t believe that sewing is a dying art at all. I mean it is evident that it will always be there to fall back on. But I do believe that our priorities have changed our attitudes towards sewing. I’ve heard so many exclamations over the last week with “I love to sew but…” and there is always some excuse attached.

I find it extraordinary how through history, women sat together to sew shirts for the poor and chat. How they sat together to teach their daughters to sew and through this developed positive attitudes within the next generation. I also find it pleasant to realise that those of us who sew today really enjoy the process. And that is a good thing.

Illustrations courtesy of April Henry of April 1930′s.

Absolute Beginner
You know the basics of how to operate your sewing machine, but you’ve never sewn a garment. Here’s your place to start.

Lazy Days Skirt: This free downloadable tutorial will help you get comfortable with your machine and will allow you to demonstrate to yourself that, yes, you can sew a garment. This very easy tutorial doesn’t involve an actual sewing pattern and is a perfect place to start for absolute beginners. It also involves a minimum of supplies. You’ll learn to make a simple elasticized waistband and a very easy ribbon hem that gives the skirt its finished appearance. This skirt doesn’t even require you to finish your seam allowances, so it’s fast and simple to make.

Popover Sundress: This free download for a simple sundress provides a good introduction to sewing from a pattern. It also teaches you how to apply bias binding, which is frequently used in sewing projects. You can also have fun with combining different fabrics and adding a variety of trims to this dress.

Music Box Jumper: This is an easy beginner’s pattern with some elegant details that results in an impressive finished dress. The pleats and buttonholes are slightly more challenging than the Popover Sundress but still very manageable. If you simply can’t bring yourself to try buttonholes yet, use snaps instead of buttons.

Music Class Skirt: The skirt portion of this pattern is very simple, but the finished results are quite impressive. You’ll learn how to make simple pleats and a very easy built-in pocket on an elastic-waist skirt that builds on the ease of the Lazy Days Skirt tutorial.

Sketchbook Shorts: These shorts look impressive but are very simple to make. They include easy pockets and a waistband that can be elasticized all the way around or only in the sides and back for older children. The short are the same difficulty level as the Music Class Skirt, but this pattern is for boys and girls.

Nature Walk Knit Pants: This simple pattern will help you to conquer any fears of sewing with knits, and you’ll be shocked at how easily and quickly the pants come together.

Ruffled Halter: Learn clever construction techniques to assemble this cute little top with easy raw-edge ruffles.

Novice
You’re able to sew from a pattern, and you’re eager to learn basic garment construction techniques. Our patterns rated one scissors in difficulty are designed for sewers at this level.

Bedtime Story Pajamas: This pajama set features simple elastic-waist pants and a bias bound kimono top. You’ll gain experience cutting out and assembling pants and a top without needing to worry about more detailed elements like buttonholes. The sleeves are fantastically simple to assemble, and you might try combining unusual fabrics for the bias trim and ties.

Sandbox Pants: This pattern allows you to create a great looking pair of pants with some interesting details that are fully within the reach of a new garment sewer. This project will teach you how to make simple pockets and will give you practice making buttonholes. The pants have a simple combination elastic/drawstring waistband which is slightly more challenging than the one on the Bedtime Story Pajamas.

Sailboat Top, Skirt, and Pants: This pattern provides a simple pair of cropped pants, a skirt, and a top that can all be made by someone without a lot of sewing experience. The details of the finished garments (decorative topstitching, buttons and button holes on the flat-front skirt and pants) provide a high satisfaction quotient for the novice sewer. You’ll learn to set in an easy sleeve and will be amazed at how simple it is to construct the pants and skirt—with no zippers!

Advanced Beginner
Tea Party Sundress and Playsuit: This is also a one scissors pattern, but it is slightly more challenging than our other one scissors patterns. Using this pattern will teach you how to make a curved seam and how to use flat piping. The sundress will introduce you to our innovative hem facing, which is ideal for finishing flared skirt hems.

Nature Walk Pullover: This pattern for a simple layering piece will introduce you to some simple details that look professional when finished: pockets, sleeves, and a collar. You’ll be thrilled with the results, and you can have fun combining fabrics for different results.

Hopscotch Skirt, Knit Top + Dress: Whether you want to improve your knit sewing skills with the top or dress or try some easy dressmaking details with the woven skirt, this pattern will expand your repertoire gently. The knit top/dress has easy gathers in the front yoke seam, a self neckband, and a simple set-in sleeve. The skirt includes a fun and manageable pleated pocket, front button placket, and a simple elastic back waistband.

Intermediate
You no longer consider yourself a beginning sewer. You’re comfortable with your machine and with following a pattern. You’ve made a few garments, and you’re pleased with the results you’ve achieved. Our two scissors patterns are perfect for this level. They are a little bit more involved and challenging to sew because they introduce interesting new construction techniques, but they provide great results for the extra effort.

Ice Cream Dress: This unique little pattern will show you how to finish the inside of the dress to look almost as nice as the outside! The easy button loop means no buttonholes or other closures, and you’ll get a chance to practice pivoting to create the little V-shape notches at the front neckline and pockets of View A.

Sunday Brunch Jacket and Skirt: This tailored, unlined jacket will get you comfortable with sewing sleeves, gathers, and collars. As a result, it provides a slightly greater challenge—but also several opportunities to pick up new skills. The unlined jacket also gives the opportunity to practice bias binding, if you should choose to finish the interior seams this way.

2+2 Top and Skirt: This pattern features a unique placket and gathering treatment on the front of the blouse, bias binding at the neckline, and a button placket at back. The simple pleated skirt features a side placket. This pattern offers opportunity to develop your construction and technique skills while working on these features. Chances are that you’ll surprise yourself with your new sewing abilities once you’ve completed the outfit.

Advanced Intermediate
When you’re ready to invest a little more time and take on a greater challenge, our three scissors patterns are ready for you. They feature full dress making details and, consequently, require a greater time investment to complete. But the outcomes are totally achievable (thanks to our detailed instructions) for an intermediate sewer looking for a new challenge.

Music Class Blouse: Try your hand at some simple pintucks in this blouse pattern. The one-piece collar and short sleeve look terrific despite being quite easy to sew. Once you’ve gained a little confidence, try the long sleeve version of the blouse with a placket at the cuff.

Sketchbook Shirt: Like the Music Class Blouse, this pattern looks impressive while actually being very manageable. The one-piece collar looks much more difficult than it actually is. Using this pattern, you will sew a button placket, and you can choose the short sleeves for an easier version or the long sleeves with placket at the cuffs when you’re ready.

Birthday Party Dress: You’ll gain experience sewing pleats, and you will use using accurate stitching to create the facing. You will experience a new and unique placket construction when you sew from this pattern.

Jump Rope Dress: This pattern includes lots of little dressmaking details that will make you feel like a professional when you see the results! You’ll use accurate stitching to make a partial placket and a sweet little collar. The you can choose between the gathered dropped-waist skirt with belt and belt loops or the simpler A-line version of the dress.

School Photo Dress: This unique dress includes a kangaroo pocket at the front, an invisible zipper, and a lining. The kangaroo pocket requires stitching precisely to several points, which will allow you to practice accuracy in stitching. You’ll be pleased at how easy it is to insert an invisible zipper, and the lining finishes everything nicely. This pattern requires a little more time than some of our other patterns, but the extra effort pays off beautifully.

School Days Jacket and Coat: Using this pattern will allow you to create a fully lined jacket or coat. You can even opt to make a removable, quilted lining. You’ll get experience sewing with laminates or wool. Sewing from this pattern is more time consuming than most of our others, but it will return excellent results for the investment. You’ll be amazed that you made it yourself!

Once I started using this interlock in the studio, I quickly remembered how easy and fun it is to sew with knits. I’ve been converted, and I’ve put together some tips and hints to show you how easy it is.

Getting Started

As with any fabric, wash and dry your fabric before you start cutting. Knits tend to shrink more than woven fabrics. The City Weekend interlock shrinks about 8% (which is substantially less than the 15% or more seen in many knit qualities), but you don’t want your beautiful project to get 8% shorter the first time you wash it, do you?

Use all-purpose thread and, preferably, a ballpoint needle. Also note that, whether you’re sewing on a standard sewing machine or a serger (see the guidelines below for sewing on a machine vs. a serger), be careful not to stretch the fabric as you sew. Just feed it through the machine evenly for a nice seam. Interlock stretches on the cross grain and doesn’t “recover” as quickly as jersey knits. If you stretch as you sew, your finished garment can end up wider than you intended. Interlock doesn’t stretch much on the vertical grain, so pay attention to the direction of the stretch when you cut your fabric so you can take advantage of it.

Because the seam allowances for knit patterns are small (seam allowances for Oliver + S patterns are 1/2″, but for sewing patterns using knits we have reduced the seam allowances to 1/4″ to reduce bulk and to work nicely with a serger), mark notches with chalk, a fabric marker, pins, or by cutting them to extend outside the cut edge instead of cutting into the edge of the cut fabric. Here is an example of the notched edge of a knit:

Using a Standard Sewing Machine

Sew all seams with a stretch stitch (some machines have special stitches specifically designed for sewing knits) or with a narrow, shortened zigzag stitch, about 1/16″ wide by 16 stitches long (that is, eight zigs and eight zags to the inch).

While you can leave the seam allowances unfinished, I prefer to finish them together, stitching over the raw edges with a regular zigzag stitch.

Using a Serger

A serger will stitch, trim the seam allowances, and finish the seam allowances all at once. A three- or four-thread overlock stitch is suitable for most purposes. If you’re unsure of the fit, baste the seams first to check before stitching. Be sure to guide the fabric so only the 1/4” seam allowance is used as you stitch. Press seam allowances to one side unless otherwise instructed.

That’s not too difficult, is it?

This is a cover from the July 1928 issue of Amateur Golfer magazine. Who knew golfing could be so inspirational!

Our patterns feature more sophisticated design elements (and, therefore, include more fine dressmaking details) than other children’s patterns on the market. This means that the construction techniques need to be innovative and the instructions need to be especially clear, thorough, and well illustrated.

Before starting Oliver + S, I taught regular sewing classes here in New York. That experience gave me insight into where people struggle at each stage in their development as seamstresses. When I write the instructions for our patterns, I always think of my former students. I ask myself if they would be able to accomplish something by following the instructions I’ve drafted. If the answer is “no,” I rewrite a step.

It makes my day when I hear someone say that sewing with an Oliver + S pattern feels like taking a sewing class. I’ve always considered teaching to be a core part of what Oliver + S is about. (We make great patterns, but we also help make good home sewers even better.) These days I don’t get to do as much direct instruction as I used to, but I try to make our patterns clear enough that they can be used as self-teaching tools for the people who sew from them.

All of this is a long way of getting around to the purpose of this blog post. Now that we have a critical mass of patterns, with styles at many difficulty levels, I’m able to do something with the line that I haven’t been able to do before. I can offer you a complete syllabus for learning to sew (or improving from your current level) with Oliver + S patterns.

Absolute Beginner
You know the basics of how to operate your sewing machine, but you’ve never sewn a garment. Here’s your place to start.

Lazy Days Skirt: This free downloadable design will help you get comfortable with your machine and will allow you to demonstrate to yourself that, yes, you can sew a garment. This very easy tutorial doesn’t involve an actual sewing pattern and is a perfect place to start for absolute beginners. It also involves a minimum of supplies. You’ll learn to make a simple elasticized waistband and a very easy ribbon hem that gives the skirt its finished appearance. This skirt doesn’t even require you to finish your seam allowances, so it’s fast and simple to make.

Popover Sundress: Ready to sew from a pattern? This free download for a simple sundress provides a good introduction to sewing from a pattern. It also teaches you how to apply bias binding, which is frequently used in sewing projects. You can also have fun with combining different fabrics and adding a variety of trims to this dress.

Novice
You’re able to sew from a pattern, and you’re eager to learn basic garment construction techniques. Our patterns rated one scissors in difficulty are designed for sewers at this level.

Bedtime Story Pajamas: Our easiest pattern, this pajama set features simple elastic-waist pants and a bias bound kimono top. You’ll gain experience cutting out and assembling pants and a top without needing to worry about more detailed elements like buttonholes. The sleeves are fantastically simple to assemble, and you might try combining unusual fabrics for the bias trim and ties.

Sandbox Pants: This pattern allows you to create a great looking pair of pants with some interesting details that are fully within the reach of a new garment sewer. This project will teach you how to make simple pockets and will give you practice making buttonholes. The pants have a simple combination elastic/drawstring waistband which is slightly more challenging than the one on the Bedtime Story Pajamas.

Sailboat Top, Skirt, and Pants: This pattern provides a simple pair of cropped pants, a skirt, and a top that can all be made by someone without a lot of sewing experience. The details of the finished garments (decorative topstitching, buttons and button holes on the flat-front skirt and pants) provide a high satisfaction quotient for the novice sewer. You’ll learn to set in an easy sleeve and will be amazed at how simple it is to construct the pants and skirt—with no zippers!

Advanced Beginner
Tea Party Sundress and Playsuit: This is also a one scissors pattern, but it is slightly more challenging than our other one scissors patterns. Using this pattern will teach you how to make a curved seam and how to use flat piping. The sundress will introduce you to our innovative hem facing, which is ideal for finishing flared skirt hems.

Intermediate
You no longer consider yourself a beginning sewer. You’re comfortable with your machine and with following a pattern. You’ve made a few garments, and you’re pleased with the results you’ve achieved. Our two scissors patterns are perfect for this level. They are a little bit more involved and challenging to sew because they introduce interesting new construction techniques, but they provide great results for the extra effort.

Bubble Dress: This fully lined dress includes a number of interesting details that will help you build your skills. The sleeve is part of the bodice on this pattern, so you can concentrate on the unique back placket, the scalloped side seams, and the hidden elastic at the hemline.

Sunday Brunch Jacket and Skirt: This tailored, unlined jacket will get you comfortable with sewing sleeves, gathers, and collars. As a result, it provides a slightly greater challenge—but also several opportunities to pick up new skills. The unlined jacket also gives the opportunity to practice bias binding, if you should choose to finish the interior seams this way.

2+2 Top and Skirt: This pattern features a unique placket and gathering treatment on the front of the blouse, bias binding at the neckline, and a button placket at back. The simple pleated skirt features a side placket. This pattern offers opportunity to develop your construction and technique skills while working on these features. Chances are that you’ll surprise yourself with your new sewing abilities once you’ve completed the outfit.

Advanced Intermediate
When you’re ready to invest a little more time and take on a greater challenge, our three scissors patterns are ready for you. They feature full dress
making details and, consequently, require a greater time investment to complete. But the outcomes are totally achievable (thanks to our detailed instructions) for an intermediate sewer looking for a new challenge.

Birthday Party Dress: You’ll gain experience sewing pleats, and you will use using accurate stitching to create the facing. You will experience a new and unique placket construction when you sew from this pattern.

Jump Rope Dress: This pattern features a straightforward construction technique that teaches you how to sew a sophisticated front placket. You’ll also get experience with sewing a collar. The detailed pockets and more tailored sleeves of this pattern result in a very professional final garment.

School Days Jacket and Coat: This is our “no holds barred” pattern for those of you who want a real sewing workout! Using this pattern will allow you to create a fully lined jacket or coat. You can even opt to make a removable, quilted lining. You’ll get experience sewing with laminates or wool. Sewing from this pattern is more time consuming than most of our others, but it will return excellent results for the investment. You’ll be amazed that you made it yourself!

Leave a little extra space in the width of the casing, and edgestitch the top edge of the waistband before you feed the elastic through. For some reason, that top row of stitching will prevent the elastic from folding over on itself when the elastic is added.

You can use this little trick in any elastic waistband, but it seems to be more of an issue in waistbands that have elastic all the way around; back-only elastic waistbands have less of a tendancy to twist and turn.

Try this little tip in the Lazy Days Skirt, the Bedtime Story Pajamas, and the Puppet Show Shorts and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the results!

Several blog readers have recently requested ideas for a summer wardrobe much along the lines of our fall wardrobe concept. And a few of you have been bemoaning the lack of good fabric stores near you. While our patterns are designed specifically for printed quilting cottons, that doesn’t mean you are limited to those fabrics, so here are some other fabrics you might use. Call it my fantasy summer wardrobe, if you will:

I had no particular theme or concept in mind when I started shopping. But after a few items caught my eye, I started selecting fabrics with a nautical theme–based on red, white, blue and a natural flax color. Come to think of it, that color story and theme links back directly to my inspiration boards for our new spring patterns. (I’ll show you those images soon.)

In any case, after I gathered my collection of swatches, I headed back to the studio to create my conceptual summer wardrobe. And this is what developed:

A Tea Party Sundress with cranberry red yoke and red toile printed on linen for the skirt.

Two Swingset Tunics and Skirts made of a Liberty floral, two cotton shirtings, and a dark blue chambray.
A Sailboat Top (pattern arriving very soon…) made of yarn-dyed cotton shirting, plus natural flax Sailboat Pants and a Japanese printed-canvas Sailboat Skirt.
Puppet Show Tunic in a Liberty floral combined with a polka dot printed lawn for the yoke. And two versions of the Puppet Show Shorts (a favorite style of mine), one in polka dot cotton shirting and the other from a cotton mattress ticking.
Bubble Dress in navy and white Liberty floral.
And the same Liberty floral used for the Puppet Show Tunic is used as the bow for the Birthday Party Dress (pattern also arriving very soon), combined with a bold navy and white polka dotted canvas for the body of the dress.

In all my planning, I completely forgot to include the 2+2 Blouse and Skirt, which would also be great for summer. The pattern includes a really cute short sleeve option. I’ll be making it for S this summer, even if it’s not part of our fantasy wardrobe shown here.

I’d love to actually sew all these garments so we could play with the many outfits that might be created by mixing and matching the separates. For example, wouldn’t the Puppet Show Shorts look great with the Swingset Tunic? Or the Sailboat Pants or Skirt with the Puppet Show Tunic?

In any case, if you’ve fallen in love with any of these fabrics, you can purchase them from the shops where I got them with just a phone call. The following list will give you purchasing details for each of the fabrics. Match the numbered list below with the swatches at the beginning of the post and contact the shops directly if you want to order. B&J; Fabrics, the source of most of the swatches, has amazing customer service and will happily ship you anything from the list as long as the fabric is still in stock.

Please drop me a line or leave a comment to tell me if you order something from this list. If I know you’ve made use of the swatches, we can continue to do special posts and collections like this in the future. Have fun!

1. Liberty Tana lawn, $42.95/yd, 54″ wide, B&J; Fabrics reference 1502
2. Liberty Tana lawn, $42.95/yd, 54″ wide, B&J; Fabrics reference 1503
3. Polka dot printed canvas, $18.95/yd, 58″ wide, B&J; Fabrics reference 100827
4. Navy ticking stripe, $7.50/yd, 54″ wide, purchase online
5. Linen toile, $26.95/yd, 54″ wide, B&J; Fabrics reference 100828
6. Yarn-dye cotton shirting, $12.95/yd, 45″ wide, B&J; Fabrics (sorry I forgot to get a reference number for this one)
7. Japanese printed cotton, $26.95/yd, 44″ wide, B&J; Fabrics reference 1501
8. Polka dot cotton shirting, $12.95/yd, 45″ wide, B&J; Fabrics reference 100829
9. Windowpane cotton shirting, $12.95/yd, 45″ wide, B&J; Fabrics reference 100831
10. Polka dot cotton shirting, $12.95/yd, 45″ wide, B&J; Fabrics reference 100830
11. Natural linen, $8.25/yd, Gray Line Fabrics Warsa linen
12. Liberty Tana lawn, $42.95/yd, 54″ wide, B&J; Fabrics reference 1504
13. Polka dot lawn, $15.95/yd, 52″ wide, B&J; Fabrics reference 1505

I gave a few reasons why I still sew–even though cute children’s fashions are available inexpensively–and I opened the floor for comments. I somehow knew all of you would have more interesting reasons for sewing than I do! Thank you all for your comments and emails. Your responses were so well-thought and well-written, I thought I would assemble them for part 2 of this post about why we sew. So let’s continue, then:

4. Customized fit. Sarah C said, “There is no better way to get that perfect fitting garment you are looking for.” She’s absolutely correct, and I can’t believe I forgot this on my list! We’re built long and slim in my family, so when I sew for S, I make her a size 3 with a size 4 length. It’s easy to make adjustments like this when you sew, and it saves a trip to the tailor, too.

5. Tangible results. Karen made the excellent point that it’s nice to feel like you’ve actually accomplished something at the end of the day. When you’re rearing children, that feeling can be a little elusive. Sewing something, however, gives immediate results. Perhaps we’re better parents when we can balance the long-term goals with the shorter-term end products?

6. Selection of fabrics. Sarah C also made the excellent point that you can choose your own fabrics when you sew, which also means that you can select from the very best qualities. Designers are often limited by price, but a seamstress can splurge whenever she wants and production won’t complain a bit (although the family bookkeeper might have something to say about that topic). In other words, it’s nice to have a choice when it comes to fabrics.

7. March to your own drum beat. I’ve been on a hunt for the perfect apple-green skirt for months now; I should probably just make it myself, since it’s not a color that’s currently available in stores. After all, who says we all want to follow the latest color trends? Make your own trends, or just sew what you like best.

8. Working together. Sallyavena said it well, “It’s for the details and the ability to take one pattern and adjust it or add to it whatever my daughter wants. It’s also fun to ‘design’ a dress/outfit with her. She gets to add her opinions, pick out the fabric, or something along those lines and it’s a little bonding time for us.” One of my favorite childhood memories is going to the fabric store with my Mom to pick out a pattern, select the fabrics and trims, and “help” (or at least watch) her sew it. This is the primary reason I became a designer (did you know that, Mom?); the process inspires me, and I adored that quality time with my Mom. Plus, I had a great dress to wear when it was done.

9. Ability to make something more beautiful than you can afford to purchase. Sarah-Jo makes another good point. When you sew, you can make garments with details that you might not be able to afford in a shop. Very high-end clothing lines often include details that a seamstress can achieve at home, if she’s willing to spend a little time on them. (Maybe this one does fall into the category of sewing to save money, but I think this is really more about the quality of the results that someone can achieve by putting passion, love, and sweat equity into a project.) This is one of the aspects of my job that I like best. I love the little achievable details, and I like to include them in our patterns too.

10. The “you made that?!?” jaw-drop effect. OK, maybe it’s vanity. But don’t you love it when people are stunned at your awe-inspiring needle skills? Come on, it’s true.

11. Matching (or co-ordinating) outfits for children, families, and dolls. But before you go too crazy with all that matching, please take heed of this family photo from the 1970s. (Sorry, Mom.)

12. Keeping the art alive. Mirjam emailed to say, “And then there is also the aspect to take care that the wide variety of different techniques don’t die out. It really doesn’t take many generations. Soon the old experts are gone to tell us their little trade secrets. And show us their pride and joy in doing a good job. Machines can’t do that.” Very true. As we purchase more factory-made goods, are we losing the ability to make those things ourselves? Are we also losing that connection to our history and to self-sufficiency?

13. Age-appropriate dressing. Karen also made mention of this issue, which I hear frequently from our customers. While I don’t insist, personally, that children should be dressed “modestly,” I really don’t see why anyone would want to dress a three-year-old to look like a hoochie mama. That applies to eight-year-olds, too.

14. Creating heirlooms and memories. I don’t mean this in the traditional sense of heirloom sewing, like elaborate Christening gowns and the like. Hollie said, “I tend to want to keep the clothes I’ve made because of the time (and money) I spent on them…. Perhaps it’s because creating something is so personal that it’s difficult to let go. I tend to think it’s because those items have such great memories attached to them. We get to revisit those memories each time we clean out the closet.” It’s true; I adore the dresses my Mom made and kept for me, and it’s wonderful to let my S wear them now that they’re starting to fit her (like my butterfly dress, below). I’ll save the dresses I’ve made for her so someday she’ll have her own memories to pass along and share. Emily added, “When my mom is gone someday, we will still have this link to her creativity, love, practicality, and skill.”

15. We’re spending less elsewhere. “I probably spend more on fabric than I would on a garment, but I’m driving less, getting fuel less, wear-n-tear on my car less (the closest decent mall is 30 minutes away), getting mochas less, spending elsewhere less… it might even out,” says April. Very true. As a hobby, sewing might mean we’re actually spending less on other past times than we would if we weren’t sewing. On a side note, I’ve heard other seamstresses say (perhaps only partially in jest?) that sewing is cheaper than therapy. Hmmm.

16. Love. I’ve been thinking a lot about this issue myself, and Keri said it well: “I love the act of giving that’s involved [in sewing]. In an entirely tangible, practical way I can lavish the recipient of my handmade work with love, attention, and time, whether it is my daughter, husband, self, friend, or famil
y.” When we sew for the people around us, we’re telling them that we value them enough to spend our time making something for them. And we’re giving them something that has love sewn right into it. Indywriter said, “if I have taken the time to create something handmade for you, it’s because you are special to me or to my family. I am not only giving you a dress, I am giving you the precious gift of my time and my thoughts during the process of making it.”

So there are sixteen excellent reasons why we sew. Most of them have little to do with saving money, do they? I think sewing today is much more about these reasons than it is about being thrifty. We might be spending more or less, depending on our choices, but we get so many other benefits from our craft.

When you sit down at your sewing machine tonight, what are you going to make?

When I was growing up, my Mom sewed to save money. With five girls, and five parochial-school tuitions to be paid on a professor’s salary, there wasn’t much left over for clothing. Mom made all our school and church dresses, which was great for me since I’m the oldest. My younger sisters probably weren’t so thrilled with my hand-me-downs, but we’ll have to ask them about that another day.

Anyway, waaaay back then (it wasn’t all that long ago, I swear), sewing was a great way to save money. Manufactured clothing was expensive, and it was rare that we found something in a store that cost less to purchase than to sew.

These days, due to globalization and the offshoring of fabric manufacturing and garment production, clothing is amazingly inexpensive. You can purchase cute dresses at Target and Old Navy for next to nothing–often for less than what it would cost you to purchase the materials to make a similar garment yourself.

So why do we still sew clothing? And why bother making clothing when you can purchase it for much less? Here’s what I think. And I would love to hear your opinions on this, as well:

1. The pleasure of the process. Personally, I love to make things. I love to sew, and I get great satisfaction from making something with my hands. It’s more than a hobby for me; sewing helps me to calm down, relax, and feel a sense of accomplishment.

2. Creative options. I love to make something that is unlike anything anyone else has. I think the word “unique” is over-used these days. But when you make something by hand and select the pattern, fabric, and trims that are used, it truly is unique. There’s a lot to be said for that, especially in this day of mass-produced products.

3. The inhumanity of the global supply chain. Let’s be honest. If you purchase a dress for $10 at a big retail store, someone somewhere was paid very, very little to make that dress and may have produced it in suboptimal working conditions. This is a dirty secret in the garment industry that the more reputable brands try to address. I’ve worked for companies that employed full-time overseas managers whose sole job was to be a presence in the factories of their suppliers–ensuring humane working conditions for the vendor’s employees. While I applaud these efforts, I still believe that in instances where prices have been pushed so low someone is being treated unjustly. It may be the factory owner who was pressured to reduce prices to a level at which there is no margin profit in order to stay in business, or it might be the line worker. Pricing has become so sensitive and competitive that the big retailers aren’t always playing fair with their suppliers. This is a complicated issue and deserves more consideration than I can give in this venue, but let’s just say that I get a little concerned when I see clothing sold for such low prices. When I sew a garment for my daughter to wear, I know that no one was treated unjustly in the creation of her dress. Unless I poked my finger with a pin or something. Or hollered at the cat when she jumped onto my sewing table while the machine was running….

Those are just three of the reasons why I sew. What about you? I’d love to hear what your motivations are.