Why? A philosophical question for crafters...

[bestjob]

Okay, so this isn't your regular sewing and craft thread. ..

I've been thinking about the knitting that I do. Most of the things that I make are pretty basic in design, but they cost at least twice as much as if I had bought them in the store. I make things for my kids, friends and family because I like to keep busy and because I like to give a little of myself to the people I love.

Why do you do sewing and crafts? In this day and age, does anyone actually do it because of necessity?

[Katambra]

I have been thinking about this too, ever since I took up knitting again. It really doesn't make any sense at all cost wise. I think that the reason is that it feels good to know that you made something with your own two hands. Everything is mass produced now and everyone is sooooooooo busy that there just aren't the heirloom quality creations to hand down anymore. I mean, I know that the pair of mittens I am attempting to make won't be handed down, but it still feels good to look at it and know that I made it with love for my family.
Kat

[AahRee]

Hmmm.... I'm not sure that it's not always cost effective. For example, I made a pair of baby booties for a friend's baby (who should arrive any day now! ), and I made them with Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran yarn. It took less than one skein of yarn to make the booties, and the yarn was about $7 a skein. I seriously doubt I could find knit, cashmere/merino wool baby booties ANYWHERE for $7.

But, to answer as if it actually weren't cost effective, I'd have to say that I really think that giving homemade gifts is more personal and from the heart than store-bought. I know the time that goes into making things MEANS something to the people I give those things to. My daughter, who received my first knitting project, watched me knit it for weeks before I finally gave it to her. When she realized that all of that work was for HER... she was SOOO excited. She totally lit up! And she was only 18 months old at that time, but she still totally *got* that Mama's *kninning* (as she called it) was all for HER. It was too cute! There's not a thing I could have bought in a store that would have pleased her like that.

[Jessviola]

ann,
my first project went to my 2 year old dd. i made a little hat. she used to hate wearing hats but she *loves the one i made for her it came out ok, but i'm sure i could make improvements :LOL if i tried again. she always asks for it and when i put it on her she says 'mama made it for baby'

[tinksmommy]

It's definately not out of necessity at my house. I do it for 2 reasons: 1) to apease my crafty side and 2) for stress relief. I work in an office were the tension can very often be cut with a knife. When I get home, I like to have something to do that doesn't take much brain power.

There's definately pride in having made something for someone you love. Heck, my favorite gifts from when DD was born are the handmade afghans and quilts.

[Kerrie]

Most if not all of my crafts are done for stress relief as well as to save money. For christmas this year, I made a blanket (it was about 60 inches square) for SIL that only cost me $.88 - I used scraps and bought paint for DS to make footprints with. For my FIL, I made a headsock that cost about $5 - the one that I copied cost about $20. For my MIL and mom, I made calendars that cost me $1.99 in supplies. I make dipes and covers all of the time that cost me about $4 and $3. I couldn't buy them for those prices, have them fit the way that I want and at the same time got some 'me time'. I also in the process of making DS a quilt like DD's and I don't think that I can put a price on that. I guess I could buy most of this stuff but most likely it would cost more and not be exactly what I wanted. Of course, there is the cost of my time but I don't really count that.

[Mizelenius]

I'm just beginning to venture into the world of crafts/sewing, and the first thing I noticed is how it doesn't necessarily save $ to "do it yourself." It made me realize even more how little profit margin there is for WAHMs (I'm not a WAHM-- just a fan!). I've considered just buying what I'm attempting to make for a gift, but I decided that even though there isn't much of a savings, it will mean more to me to have made it, and hopefully more to the recipient. Plus, it's fun and somehow empowering. Good thread!

[KnitChick]

Why I knit (in a nutshell)

I knit to stay sane. If I stop knitting for awhile, I start yelling at everyone I know for the dumbest things, I start obsessing about unhealthy stuff (like my MIL), and I get antsy and anxious. Okay, it sounds like I'm getting the DTs or something, but I really believe that knitting keeps me literally grounded in reality.

Unlike so much of what we do these days, knitting is real--and not just knitting but all the crafts. They are concrete; they tie us to the past and future, since they exist outside of time. They also tie us to the ones who receive our gifts--who doesn't think of the intended recipient with (almost) every stitch or movement? Yeah, it can be expensive, but it's a heck of a lot cheaper than therapy (especially if you figure it by the hour)! :LOL

[ShariMama]

It all depends how ya' do it....

I've been sewing for almost 30 years (my god, am I really old enough to say that?) and knitting for at least 20. I have a BA in art have done alot of ceramics, bookbinding, etc. And I've been pondering the same question as the original poster. I think that to make art/craft really cost effective, it's got to be a full-scale approach to life. Which is exactly how it was cost effective historically. When that dress (pants, jacket, pillow case) wore out and couldn't really be mended anymore, it became part of a quilt. A very different proposition than going to a fabric store and pouring over 8.98/yard fabric for hours for the perfect quilt design.

There's nothing wrong with spending $90 on fabric to make the quilt. As nearly everyone has said, it's about a lot of important things that have nothing to do with money, but I find it interesting that such a huge consumer-machine has developed around the craft market. Ever let yourself get out of control at Michaels? We've also largely lost the tradition of making things for ourselves, so each new project requires a book and/or a pattern, and whatever else in addition to the raw materials. And, since gramma isn't there to tell us to just use an old sheet instead of buying something new, materials fees are high.

Whew, kind of a ramble. In any case, here's to making stuff yourself! Handmade things have soul.

[saintmom]

I crochet because it's way cheaper than a therapist!!And handmade goodies are what makes our house a home!

[mehndi mama]

I do sew & knit to save money - I know what I like, and to get the things I want for me & my family without making them myself, I would have to pay WAAAAYYYYY more than it would cost me in materials. Can you buy a pair of hand-dyed footed wool pants for $10? Um, no, you can't. Or how about a brand new fitted diaper for $1? That's how much goes into materials for the diapers we use.
If you're in it to save money, you have to be frugal with your materials. I don't do a lot of "crafting" as the term is used most often today - most, if not all of what I make has a totally utilitarian purpose, and is only decorative to please my own sense of aesthetics.

Aside from all that, I have a creative nature. I can immerse myself in a project for days at a time, trying to get it perfectly suited to my need. Because of this, I often let the less-fun parts of daily life go (you know, those unimportant things like cooking & laundry .....so to try to get back on track, I have sometimes attempted to give up my creative pursuits so I could devote myself to maintaining order in the home. HA! I could no more separate myself from sewing/designing/nedlework than I could give myself brain surgery, yk? It's just not possible for me NOT to create.

[Queen Gwen]

A varied assortment of reasons to craft:

Some of the things I do *are* money savers, using up scraps of fabric, or the ends of yarn used in other projects.

I'm an incredibly picky consumer; I think most of the clothing offered in the stores right now is hideous and poorly constructed. I'd rather make one decent outfit for my kids than buy 5 ugly ones that will fall apart within 3 months.

I like that my kids know that it's possible for a person to make things themselves, and not rely on a trip to the store for everything. We can sit back and say, "hmmm, how can we make that item with stuff we have here?" Related thoughts: dh usually tries to fix the car or stuff around the house rather than calling in a repairman. Also, I've had kids visit who have never seen a blueberry growing on a bush, didn't have a clue where their food came from. So, our kids understand food from seed to plate, housing and transportation care, clothing, curtain and toy construction, and would probably tackle building a house and furnishing it if they had to.

Handmade has more soul. That's one of the appealing philosphies of Waldorf, as far as I'm concerned. Related thought: of the "five love languages" my love-language is "service". When I make something for someone I'm using my love language! BTW, my parents have entered a phase of their lives where they don't want to amass any more "stuff". But, somehow, homemade items don't seem so "stuff"-like.

Bottom-line, though, is that I tend to get really hyper-creative and drive everyone nuts if I don't have an outlet. Really, everything I wrote above is mostly justification for needing to create, and create something worth creating.

[kathryn5kids]

I honestly craft to save money. HA, HA but find I like to buy things on sale because I'm trying to save money too. So I make sure I stay away from big sales happening every other month. I've learned how to make simple shirts and pants for my 5 children. This is great because I would usually buy them for $8 to $10.00 a piece. I save a bit sewing them at home. So far my children are young enough to appreciate my small crafts. Hopefully when I become a better sewer I will be able to make the designer looks for my girls as they turn into pre-teens. My oldest is 7 turning 8 in March so I have plenty of time to practice!
I also craft to feel the accomplishment that I did this unique look. Even if it's a dress every one had seen pattern wise, Hardly any one would have seen the fabric I chose.
Kathryn

[LaLa]

Crafting is something I do for my mind.
I need a mommy outlet and a hobby..something of my own.

It keeps me happy


Plus I can make cooler stuff then I'd want to buy sometimes, which is a plus, and it makes for fun trading and swaps!

[ksmeadowlark]

I just spent approximately $10 on materials to make my niece a diaper bag for her baby doll, but the beauty of it all is that:

1. I sewed it out of Hello Kitty fabric, a favorite of my niece AND of me...

2. It is just what I know she will love, and I wouldn't know where to find one like it in the store.

3. I sewed it in one night and got this amazing satisfaction from the finished product (thought about keeping it for myself!!!)

4. My sewing time is seldom but sacred, when I demand it my DH knows that I "need" it.

So, that's it! I can't stand projects that I am not in love with, I waste money on them because I never finish them. But this was a GREAT project for me!!!!

[em_jon98]

I think I only **VERY** occasionaly save money by crafting or sewing something myself. I don't really think of it in terms of saving money so much as saving sanity, and having the satisfaction of knowing that I made something with my skills. I think we "move" much too quickly as a society these days. Almost everything is mass produced. There is not necessarily always a decline in product quality becuase of this, but I think its very telling that it is so much *easier* to buy mass produced items than to make things yourself or support the artisan community by buying their products.

I craft because it is a stress reliever, and because it makes me feel like I am doing something positive to slow life down and enjoy the moments. I completed a wall hanging tonight for my DD's room that had been sitting in my project pile for a long time. Every stitch means something to me because I created it. It is special to me and it will be special to her (I hope ) when she is old enough to realize that mommy made it for her.

So, mostly, I don't craft because I can make things cheaper, but because I enjoy taking the time to create something beautiful.

[roarzilla]

I need something to do when I have insomnia! Or as a friend puts it so I don't choke people! So I guess that falls under stress relief! I just need to be busy all the time and get bored easily!

[MamaMonica]

Ditto on it being cheaper than therapy. I have this inborn need to make things with my hands and have been drawing, painting, sculpting and making things since I was a kid. I like the spacial/relations challenge and learning soemthing new.

Since I can't paint as much as before kids and needed something portable- knitting is it now! It keeps my brain fharp, too- learning someting new is good for you. (well, not that sharp- I still can't type...)

It also feels more loving to make handmade gifts.

[Mama Lori]

There is something both exciting and stress-relieving about creating something with your own hands. That is why I make things. I also craft because it does save me money in gifts for friends and family; the supplies cost far less than if I were to buy something of similar value as my finished product; plus, homemade is more personal and people love it! You are giving them a part of yourself, when you give them something you've made.