A Month of Making: On Sewing, Crafting & Working With Your Hands

I’m not what you’d call a domestic person.

I don’t bake, I don’t craft, I don’t send hand-made cards or decorate my house for Halloween. I typically have to ask for assistance wrapping Christmas presents because if the box is too big or too small or unusually shaped, I will find a way to botch the job.

So I’m bad at arts & crafts. I’m fine with it.

The problem, however, is that I have a five year old who’s growing up to be little Miss Martha Stewart. She makes appetizer platters when guests come over, and she brings me glasses of ice water with pineapple slices on the rim.

Mini Martha Stewart

Yes, this little one has homemaking in her blood, and she is absolutely appalled and confounded at my lack of interest in the domestic arts.

It made me wonder – am I really that bad? Or have I just told myself that I’m a domestic dunce so many times that I have no choice but to live up to the expectation?

I can’t help but think that I just might be selling myself short.

That’s why, this month, I’ve decided to learn the ultimate domestic skill: sewing.

sewing-29746_640

My goal is to cut and sew two nightgowns, one for each of my daughters.

I chose nightgowns because my girls obsess over them, and for the past several years, I’ve been on the hunt for pretty nightgowns that are durable and comfortable, yet frilly and feminine. Sadly, the nightgown in my head doesn’t exist, so I’m making my own!

Now, to be perfectly honest, I know nothing about sewing, nor do I have any experience with sleepwear, fabric, thread, measurements, cutting, construction and design.

I have no idea what I’m getting myself into.

Thankfully, I recruited a few crafty friends to help me get started, and I’ve even got a couple of fun side projects lined up that should make for an interesting, hands-on, craft-alicious month.

learning to sew

I’m very much looking forward getting messy and working with my hands. It’s not something I do often (or ever), but it’s work that provides not only a great innate sense of satisfaction and pride, but also the ability to learn new skills and think about things in a different way.

UPDATE: How did the challenge go?

 

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