Have you been thinking about possibly starting a new hobby? Something new and unique that can help fill that creative void you might be feeling? If that’s the case then sewing may be for you! If you are unfamiliar with what sewing is, allow me to enlighten you. That favorite piece of clothing you either have stored away currently or are wearing, it was made through sewing! Those dithered lines you might commonly come across on your clothing are called stitches, which are directly a result of sewing. But the question of what really is sewing still stands, what exactly is sewing? Sewing is generally the act of joining together pieces of fabric to create something new. This can mean making a sweater, stuffed animal, pillow, seat covering, and anything that involves conjoining any sort of fabric. If you’re still left wondering why this hobby would be of much interest, let me explain my own personal experience with creating stuff with sewing.
I started sewing around the age of seven. My reasoning for wanting to begin sewing was because I was the type of kid who loved stuffed animal toys, and my mother, like any parent would, often had to say no to my many asks about purchasing more toys than the abundant amount I already had. Now, instead of just accepting the fact I really had a ton of toys, I still kept wishing I had a way to get more. After spending much time thinking, I had thought back to when my mother would use a needle and thread to sew some of my broken toys back together. I only really understood the act of sewing a form of repairing worn clothes or toys, until I tried it myself. I cut out pieces of cloth and attempted to shape it out into a person, then I took my mother’s sewing materials that consisted of a needle and thread and began the process I’ve seen her do countless times. After my hard work was completed, the final product was in my hands. And it was nothing short of utterly awful. The stitching was all over the place, stuffing was spilling out, the shape looked jagged. It was no lie that my craftsmanship was not great.
Although that moment may have been quite discouraging, it was most definitely not a sign to give up, but instead examine my shortcomings and proceed as a more knowledgeable artist. Even to this day, seven years later of different sewing projects and exploring new possible creations with the art form, I still learn new things often and how to do things better and more efficiently. After hearing my anecdote, you may still be wondering “how do I actually get started?”
I would recommend getting started by buying a sewing machine. While some can be expensive, it would majorly pay off as starting with sewing by hand is a lot more simple, but it is more time consuming and later on, can prove to be less effective than using a sewing machine. The actual materials after that would all depend on what your project is. For example, if you want to make a denim jacket, you would need denim, likely blue colored thread, and a 100/16 size needle. Be sure to do your own research on any questions you may have to ensure no important details are missed! That concludes my encouragement towards you to try this unique and creative hobby, I really hope you give it a try! Thank you for reading.
Marc Rendon – St. Mark’s School – DMSF Class of 2030
Photo Credit: PickPik