Reasons for Sewing

I've always loved the idea of being able to take inspiration for clothes from people we see around us all the time - at college, on the bus, in the park - and then being able to go home and recreate them in a way totally unique to me. And this is what has happened. Since I started sewing six months ago, I've created fifteen whole garments that I wouldn't have otherwise had in my wardrobe, and part of what makes me feel so good about them is that no one else will ever be able to say that they have the same things. The brilliance of home sewing is that even if, by pure chance, you pick the same pattern and even the same fabric as another sewer, the way you think about and construct that garment will differ entirely from the other person, until at the end the creations may look identical but the story behind their production will always be unique. 

This couldn't be more different to what happens to the clothing ranges that we buy directly off the shelves. For every identical item you see hung up on rail after rail, you know that they all have exactly the same sorry story. For many shops, those clothes will have been manufactured under awful working conditions, perhaps even using child labour, and no matter how many times you wash your clothes, that's a mark that will never come clean. What's more is that for all the money that you pay for the clothes you buy, you could walk into college or work the next day and see someone with the exact same outfit. Individuality is a thing of the past - in our times, it's seen as safer to fit in with the crowd, which ultimately is leading to increased crime rates, higher rates of drug and alcohol abuse and people taking up smoking. The problem? This trend of following the crowd has led to a point where people just can't say no. 

Now, I know that for issues like these, a sewing blog seems like a bit of strange place to start. It's not as if a small teenage girl from England is ever going to be able to change the world, however much she might wish it. But one thing I can do? Encourage home sewing! 

I firmly believe that the moment more people choose to style their own clothes rather than choosing from the on trend selection most clothing stores provide, then that's the time they'll start thinking for themselves and realise it is ok to be unique, and it's ok to say no! 

For me, learning to sew was the ability I needed to help fulfil my wish to have a wardrobe that tailored to my exact wishes, just as I'd always pictured. I think that if, like me, you've never really fit in well with your age group, I think you'll understand what I mean when I say that I was born in the wrong generation. This seems personal, but I think I should make it clear that unlike many eighteen year olds, I don't drink, I don't go out partying all hours of the night, I don't pick up strange boys. Instead, I lust after clothing styles from every decade but my own and make plans for the right pattern and fabric to turn these lusts into reality! 

I hope I'm making this sound like fun. If I only ever get one thing out of this sewing blog, it is that I can convince someone, anyone, to give sewing a chance. Being able to create clothes that you then go on to wear everyday is one of life's greatest pleasures, I've found. I take utter joy in sitting down at my machine and when I rise a couple of hours later, having a new garment to integrate into my wardrobe. And you can do this too! 

So go on, what are you waiting for?! Enrol on a sewing class, buy, beg or borrow a machine, and get stitching! I promise you, if you stick at it, it is one of the most worthwhile things you will ever do. 

If we work together, we CAN save the world, one stitch at a time. 

Beth x