Why I Sew

Sometimes, when I wear something that I've made, or carry a bag that I've sewn, I'll get this:

"I like your bag."  (Thanks!)  "Did you make that?"  (Yep!)  "Oh."  Accompanied by a "look me up and down" look.  And then something like, "I don't know how you do that" or "I could never do that" or "I don't have the patience for that" or something to that effect.

I think people often assume...well, I have no idea what they assume.  I think there's some head-scratching, wondering why I bother.  (Hey, when a project isn't going so well, I wonder that myself sometimes!)

It's not necessarily less expensive to sew.  Especially for a bargain shopper like me.  And if time = money, then it definitely is not cheaper.

Dang it!  I didn't have any more pink thread, either.  Thankfully, I just made it.  This is what was left.  WHEW! 

It certainly isn't less hassle.  I spend hours at that machine, often at night after the kids have gone to bed.  And sometimes I use my ding-dang seam ripper more than I use my machine.  Which irritates me to no end.

looks simple in the diagram, doesn't it?

mmm-hmm.  yep.  just like the diagram. 

My sewn items aren't of the finest quality...I don't have a serger, so my seams on the inside are a dead-giveaway that they have been....picture Nina Garcia from Project Runway squinting her eyes and saying: "home sewwwwn."  I mean, I'm proud of what I do, don't get me wrong, but I'm not winning any awards here.

Sewing is something that I can do.  Not everyone can - or wants to.  I enjoy it - sometimes I almost "crave" the feeling of putting pins in fabric and running it through the machine.  I know that sounds weird.  But it's calming, in a way.  Like knitting.  But with more broken needles.  ;)

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (the Yarn Harlot) said somewhere (in a book, in her blog, I don't remember) that when she sees her kids playing in the snow, wearing mittens that she knitted, she feels like a good mom.  I think that about sums it up for me.

Linking up...