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.
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.
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.
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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hey what a great idea! love it! I too am just learning to sew and it’s actually pretty fun. I even shortened a pair of jeans (I’m short and NOTHING is the right length, ever) and my goal is to make a dress I can sing in…yikes! I found you from the Smart Passive Community and it’s really nice to find someone doing something original!:-) btw, your daughter is ADORABLE! isn’t it funny how our children change our perspective on everything??? hope your weekend is fabulous!
Thanks so much Karen. Sewing is fun, but it’s tough stuff! I had no idea! And thanks for your comments on the blog. I’m definitely going for original, but am always looking for helpful hints on SPI 🙂
Again, apologies if not helpful, and it look like you already own a machine, “From the Wall Street Journal link I @runtodaylight tweeted you, “…The sewing machines you’re probably familiar with are the ones at big-box stores. These are mostly made of plastic and retail for well under $500. As a general rule of (thimbled) thumb, more-basic models like these require more skill to produce passable results. Still, even inexpensive ones have nifty features, like the ability to sew different types of buttonholes (large ones for coats with chunky buttons, small for dress shirts with tiny buttons) and automatic thread-cutting and knotting. One well regarded beginner-friendly option, the Brother CS6000i, sells for under $150….”
What I don’t know about sewing could fill libraries.
I’m learning the same as well. Starting to wonder what I got myself into. Those fancy machines are looking mighty appealing right now!