Sewing is a thing of the past. The demand for fabric, patterns, and notions for sewing has seemed to decrease in availability in modern times. Giant department stores that once dedicated entire departments to such items would now look you would a dumb founded smirk and say “what exactly is it that you’re looking for?” if you were to ask now. I often hear my friends tell me how much they admire my sewing skills and the garments that I make, my reply is always the same thing; you can do it yourself too.
In order to justify my love and commitment to sewing and why I think that you should do it to, I created a list of some things that I find to be an incredibly important element to sewing for yourself.
1. You get to make a garment that only you have- Often when I am inspired to sew something, it’s because I see something at one of the many stores I enjoy shopping at. If I see something that outweighs the cost of sewing it, I’ll typically buy it, but aside from that, I don’t have many other excuses. I browse runway shows when available and admire from afar, but sewing our own clothes allows us to make a piece that no one else will likely ever have. For instance, my Banana Bustier Crop Top is inspired by Jason Wu’s Spring 2013 RTW collection, I just made it my own. Fabrics and patterns can all be customized to suit YOU.
2. You get to customize sizes to your size- If you go to the shopping and purchase something that a.) fits you every time and b.) you don’t need to pay to have tailored, you are a lucky gal or guy. We all have something that just doesn’t fit us when we purchase it. Mine happens to be pants, so in the end, I simply avoid buying them and make them instead.
3. Sewing is incredibly affordable in the long run- Fast fashion is fast. You wash it two or three times and it no longer has its shape. That means that it’s also cheaply made, but we do get what we pay for. While the initial costs of sewing can be pricey and some good quality fabric might make your jaw drop in cost, making a pair of wool gabardine pants, instead of purchasing 10 million pairs of cheap pants (I might be exaggerating) over 5 years outweighs the initial costs.
4. Your supporting smaller business- I love this about sewing; when you shop at the right places, you are a part of a chain that it directly supporting one another and helping each other learn and grow.
5. Sewing teaches patience- I’m not that patient of a person, but what I have learned through years of sewing is that sewing is a labor of love. Making one mistake requires that undoing of such mistake. Taking a partially sewing garment apart can often feel like pulling teeth, but it requires you to go the extra mile in order to get the job done right.
6. Sewing is a community- If you have a question, there’s always an answer. Communities such as BurdaStyle allow for you to engage other users and share your creations with other users. It is a source of inspiration and support, something we could all use a little bit of.
7. Sewing increases your observation skills- in order to do something right the first time, sewing requires that you pay attention in detail to what you are doing.
8. You get to wear something that you made- sewing is a product of yourself. Just wait until you get your first compliment and then you’ll want to keep going at it!
Ready to start now? Grab a sewing machine, getting a basic sewing pattern, buy some fabric, and share with me what you are making!
Happy sewing!
Cheers,
Jillian Ouellette
A blog by Jillian Ouellette 