Why I Sew

My Daughter's Wedding Party, 1995
I made the wedding dress and the
Matron of Honor's Dress

I Learned to Sew When I was a Child

My mother began teaching me to sew when I was about 8 years old. First, I sewed headbands and doll clothes, then purses, then by the time I was in high school, I was sewing most of my own clothes.

Mom and I made my wedding dress, and all the bridesmaids' dresses. We even made matching jackets for the groomsmen and dresses for the reception servers!

When my daughter was married, I made her wedding dress and the Matron of Honor's dress and two of the reception servers' dresses for her wedding, too.

At the time, my husband was a student. I talked the school into letting me use their cafeteria to cut the fabric for all the dresses.

With yards and yards of fabric on the tables, my daughter helped me cut out all the pattern pieces from the fabric, then I sewed for days to get everything finished. Her wedding gown, which would have cost hundreds if I had purchased it, was less than $75, and that counts the cost of the pattern!

One of the students joked that I should open a formal dress shop after all that experience! I could have, I suppose, but I prefer to sew for my family and friends.

My husband will tell you I collect fabric, thread, and patterns. Why? If I ever need an outfit for any reason and don't have the money to go buy it, I can make it myself. Besides, by making it myself, I can be sure it will fit right, and I will have clothes no one else will have. Homemade designer originals, even.

Adjusting Patterns to Fit

If I don't like the sleeve on one pattern, I can substitute the sleeve from another. If I don't like the Peter Pan collar, I can change it to a Mandarin collar. 

Sewing for Plus Sizes

When I sew, I have complete control over how the garment will turn out, and how it fits. Using techniques I learned from Sewing for Plus Sizes: Creating Clothes that Fit and Flatter, I can use almost any pattern to make clothes, even if I don't have my exact size pattern.

I have sewn aprons, quilts, curtains, clothes, pillows, bags, purses, stuffed toys, and more. Many of the wedding, birthday, anniversary, and Christmas gifts I have given over the years were items I made with my sewing machine.

Sewing is one of my passions. It relaxes me to sew, so when I get frustrated or stressed out in my editing and writing jobs, I like take a break and sew something. Over the years, sewing has saved my mother, me, and my daughter lots of money. And to top it all off, sewing is fun, too!

Do you sew?