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sewing· Thoughts

Why do you sew?

fabric photo1(some new fabric I bought this weekend to start a new quilt)

Why do you sew?

It’s a question I get asked often in my personal and blog life…and one that I don’t always know how to answer.  I actually got asked that very thing last week and I  stammered something out, but I am not sure it was the right answer.

I often answer that it’s my something that can’t be undone everyday (which I wrote a post about HERE) but I think that there are lots of deeper reasons that I choose to sew.

And unfortunately I can’t put all of them into words….

But I have been thinking about it lately and I have come up with a few thoughts (that I hope make sense).  So, let me start this next reason why I sew with a story.

I have a good friend named Susan.  She is from a generation before mine, but I so consider her a dear friend.  We have worked together at church in various positions and have spent many hours together in the church kitchen for weddings, funerals and other parties preparing food and washing dishes.  And I have felt like I have gotten to know her so well throughout the years just through that task of washing so many church dishes.

And Susan…well she is one of the most service-oriented people I know.  Whenever there was someone sick in our neighborhood, guess who showed up with dinner?  Susan.  Or a new mother who needed help?  Susan was there. Or if a plea went out that someone needed some help with cleaning?  Susan to the rescue. And when I went to visit someone who was sick or suffering or in the hospital…guess who had already been there?  Susan.

She really is one of those women that I look up to so much.

And Susan…well, she has spent much of her own adult life in painful health situations.  She has suffered through more health concerns with herself than many extended families deal with put together.  And she does it all with a smile.

I had the opportunity to visit Susan last week…she has suffered another health set back and has been almost bed ridden and in excruciating pain for almost three months.

And last week when I went to visit her…I found laying next to her on the bed was a quilt I made for her last year when she had a life-threatening surgery.  You see when Susan was so sick last year, I wanted to do something for her.  I wanted to cook her a million meals, I wanted to clean her house for all the times she cleaned for others, and I wanted to serve her for all the times she served so many.

But the only thing I could think of to do…was make a comfort quilt.  So, when I saw it last week, I was gently reminded of another reason of why I sew…

I sew because I want to serve and lift others.  

And even if my stitches are terrible or the quilt isn’t the prettiest thing alive…I hope in some way that a hand sewn something can bring a smile.

I am certainly hoping it can.

~Elizabeth

So, now I want to know.  Do you get that question a lot?  Why DO you sew?  Can you put it into words?  I would love to hear your thoughts….really.

 

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Comments

  1. Elizabeth says

    I have been thinking along the same line as I have been making Christmas presents this year. I sew because I want my kids and family and friends (and myself, for that matter) to have something that can’t be gotten anywhere else. It’s not the object that is so important- it’s the time that I spent thinking about that person and praying for him or her (I pray while I sew- is that weird?) The object I make is a physical representation of the time I spent focusing on the person who will receive it and I love that.

  3. Sherry says

    Such a beautiful story. Sometimes I sew because it is the only way I can give a piece of myself to someone else. Sometimes I sew because it is the only way to make my eye stop twitching from stress…even when I rip out more than I put in.

  4. K. K. says

    I sew because it is my happy place. I am not happy in my current marital situation but am staying because, with 2 kids, what options does a SAHM really have. Their father isn’t abusive or nasty, he’s just socially and emotionally clueless. I get more parenting support from my 18 hr bra. So I stay, and I am miserable when he’s here, and when I am miserable I used to cope with my other comfort… chips. Well that is not a good thing to do, I want to be healthy and happy for my kids sake. So I sew. I sew a lot. It’s what I do with my alone time. And when it’s finished my kids love their new things, or mommy’s new skirt, or the Christmas table cloth etc. And seeing my kids happy makes each day a lot more bearable. It gives me self esteem that I am sorely lacking, and it gives me a place where I can go and be myself, and be totally ok with who that is. I guess my why is a little dreary compared to other peoples “why’s”, but to say that sewing has saved me, would not be an exaggeration.

  6. Shellie Hall says

    I sew because it is a creative outlet for me. I love picking the fabrics for a dress or choosing the color combos for a quilt, then putting it all together. I love making things that no store will ever have. Some things will be heirlooms, passed down from generation to generation…maybe. And the love that goes into the items I sew is indescribable. I sew because it brings me joy!

  8. AnnaPK says

    I was just talking about why I sew at my daughter’s parent teacher conference, of all places. Her, male, teacher told me he knows how to sew and what a useful skill it is. I mentioned one of my reasons was to help instill in my kids, especially my daughter, that being unique is a good thing. By sewing many of her clothes, she is guaranteed not be wearing the same thing as anyone else and she can have the clothes that fit her body and personality, and feel comfortable.

  9. Deborah Devine says

    I sew to enjoy the experience of color and creation. I love to give hand crafted garments that say, “I care about you.” Lastly, because it’s just ME!
    Deborah Devine @ Sew Much to Give

  10. Stacy says

    I sew because I like to make unique things. I have been questioned, “do you save money by sewing?”, which is a resounding NO in my case. I like nice fabrics, and to design my own fabrics, so that makes it more expensive. My kids really like that I can make them just about anything, especially when it comes to costumes.

    When my friends and family have some special sewing needs, I like that I can help them out, too. I can’t say that it is always a stress-releiver, because sometimes it is a stress-causer, but I still enjoy it. 🙂

  11. Stepper says

    I got started sewing because my parents couldn’t afford to buy my sisters and I new clothes every year. I got teased a lot for wearing “high waters” and holey clothes, so I could forget wearing anything in style. I knew I was going to design and make my own clothes and my future children’s clothes, so that no matter what my circumstances were they would never have to wear clothes that didn’t fit or were worn out. With the exception of maternity clothes, I haven’t sewn for myself in a decade. (since giving birth to our first child). I don’t HAVE TO make my kid’s clothes, but I do it because “acts of service” is my love language. I do it because if I should ever leave this world before they have the chance to get to know me they will have something tangible to see that I love them. The things I sew are tokens of love for those whom I love.

  14. Leigh says

    I found this on Pinterest and love it. “Why did she make thinks? Well, she enjoyed it, of course; but it also somehow helped her remember who she was and where she came from.” (http://www.pinterest.com/pin/185773553352783815/)

    I grew up with a weaver for a mother who always had a weaving room in every house. For me it is sewing. I sew for myself, for my people, and for people I will never meet. It is my creativity, I find myself planning and problem solving in my odd moments. And I love that the little thing I do that lasts.

  15. Michelle says

    I have always had this need to create. Drawing, painting scultpting. You name it, I love it. And creating for others is on top of my list. It fills my heart like nothing else. But I will say that I also have an incredibly practical side to me, and sewing combines the two so beautifully.
    Now that I have started, I can’t seem to stop.
    My kids and husband don’t complain. On the contrary, they place their “orders”. And I am over-the-moon happy to oblige.

  22. Jeannie Garcia says

    I sew for many reasons — to create things to leave as a legacy for my children just like my great grandmother did, to fulfill that need to create, but mostly because I can. I learned to sew at a young age but quickly decided it wasn’t for me. I tried again and again as I grew older always deciding I just didn’t have the patience. Finally, I realized it wasn’t patience or time I lacked, it was that I could never accept my work as good enough. Now, after many attempts and a healthy realization that my best is good enough, I sew because it is something I can do. I may not be the greatest, but I don’t have to be. It brings me peace and joy and that makes me a better person.