[applejuice]

I learned to sew at age 13. Summer of love, 1967. Those six weeks taught me to make a skirt with a zipper, a dress with facings, and a blouse with buttons. From that one class, I looked at clothes and taught myself to make clothes with lining, inset sleeves, bound button holes, flatfel seams, bound seams, pinch pleat curtains, and quilts.

I had made pinchpleat drapes, lined, and a matching table cloth with napkins made from sheet material as it is large and wide and had a nice pattern.

Does anyone sew any longer? I made my cousin a baby's quilt for her first baby and she kind of set it aside uninterested and another friend did the same with another quilt I made. So I do not make quilts for anyone unless they make a request. I made pillows for my students and headbands for my girl students. I have made costumes for my school for performances. Yet, I rarely know of anyone who can sew or is even interested.

In high school and college, I had to make my own clothes; my parents would not buy clothes for me. I do a good job, but it took time to do all of those outfits away from my studies. And these days with all of the online clothing so cheap, it simply does not pay to buy the pattern, the material, the accessories and the TIME.

When I bough my first pattern to sew my first outfit, it was $0.35 a Simplicity; I still have it. Most patterns worth buying and using today are upwards of $12.00. I do not have the fashion sense that I had as a young woman after being home with children so long, so I doubt I could even choose anything worth sewing.

Sewing is not taught any longer in schools. I suppose maintaining those sewing machines got to be expensive and hard to get parts. I recall substitute teaching in the school district in which I learned to sew - I was taking a break and in the room in which I was relaxing was on of the old sewing machines I learned to sew on set in a table - it had a tablecloth over it so it was not immediately apparent as to what it was.

So, any of you sew? Is it worth it? Does anyone do counted cross stitch? Or needlepoint? Or latch hook rug making? Just asking. With all of us working in or out of the home, it seems that many basic home making skills fall to the wayside.

Let me know.

 

[VsAngela]

@applejuice

I'm learning and making stuff with my mom's late 70's singer and it's fun. For me its a sense of accomplishment

I think the times have changed as my mom made almost all her clothes as it was cheaper than buying but as time passed mass production was on an upswing. She was sewing less for necessity and more for special occasions (formal attire, Halloween costumes) by the time I was 12 she had completely stopped using it. In high school, she did try to teach us but I never was interested in it.

Now, I haven't made much but I do like having it around for mending the kid's clothes. DD wants to learn, but I plan to get a new computerized one not to replace my vintage but to get some more stitches and convenience of the modern machine. The Vintage is not easy to use and sometimes can be difficult to the thread but the strength and beautiful stitches will never compare to the modern machine.

 

[applejuice]

I still use my 1972 Riccar. I keep it oiled and cleaned. I could never use another machine.

 

[katelove]

I sew, knit, crochet and needle felt. I make clothes for my children and for me. Quilts, dolls and household items as gifts. They are always enthusiastically received.

My children attend a Steiner school. French knitting, knitting, sewing, crochet and cross stitch are all part of the curriculum.

If you wander over to the arts and craft section you will find there a few of us who are still contributing to the forum. If you venture into the blogosphere you will find lots of sewists, knitters and crocheters


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[StarJune]

Hello apple juice!! Not many of us around anymore. Glad to see you.

I learned sewing in school but didn’t continue after that. And I learned to crochet in my teens and had hoped to pick it up again but I guess it is more time that I need. Hopefully one day.

 

[sniffmommy]

I sew! I sew all the time.
I make costumes, and I quilt. I fix things, I make home furnishings. Sometimes I make garments, but they are not my favorite.
I alter thrifted items. I'm teaching my kids to sew as part of their homeschooling. I have a new Bernina after many many years of using crappy cheap machines. It was a gift for my 40th birthday, and should last me the rest of my sewing days.

 

[applejuice]

@applejuice

I'm learning and making stuff with my mom's late 70's singer and it's fun. For me its a sense of accomplishment

I think the times have changed as my mom made almost all her clothes as it was cheaper than buying but as time passed mass production was on an upswing. She was sewing less for necessity and more for special occasions (formal attire, Halloween costumes) by the time I was 12 she had completely stopped using it. In high school, she did try to teach us but I never was interested in it.

Now, I haven't made much but I do like having it around for mending the kid's clothes. DD wants to learn, but I plan to get a new computerized one not to replace my vintage but to get some more stitches and convenience of the modern machine. The Vintage is not easy to use and sometimes can be difficult to the thread but the strength and beautiful stitches will never compare to the modern machine.

I homeschooled my DD for a year. We bought flat sheet material that she picked out and I made her curtains, a bed duster, a duvet, and pillow sham. She helped with the measurements. It was enjoyable.

However, like your mom, I rarely sewed when my children were little. I was afraid the little ones would get into the sharp tools - pins, needles, scissors, measuring gauges, - and I was losing them all of the time anyway since I sew all over the house!

With my youngest, I did teach HIM to sew in 4H. We made a shirt, pants, and curtains.

I have made and designed baby quilts over the years. I learned over the many years which fabrics and techniques work, and I guess I am ready to learn from a group the right way, and add what I have learned on my own. I have a baby girl quilt ready to go for the next mom who asks.

 

[reggid]

I'm glad that my aunt taught me sewing. Certainly, I'm not that experienced as you all, but it's a pleasure to make something by yourself. Toys, home furnishings, pillows... all that stuff.

 

[applejuice]

My crowning moment came when I was asked to make a costume for the Greek dancing group. I was given only an old shirt as a "pattern" and material to sew on.

It had pleats, buttons, a gathered waist, and a gusset in the arm sleeve. I did it all by looking at the old shirt and using a newspaper. I did a wonderful job. I was inspired. I do not think I could do it again.

But it made me proud.

 

[BernatMay]

I started sewing two years ago when my grandmother introduced me to it. I really liked what she did and also wanted to sew. For a long time I was looking for a place where I could buy a good and inexpensive sewing machine in order to practice my hobby as often as possible because my grandmother praised my skills in this business very much. Fortunately, my friend recommended a great one thesewmag.com in which I was able to choose among many options and compare the prices of sewing machines. Now I was able to choose exactly the instrument that looks great in my workshop

 

[StewartMorrisonv]

Oh I do love to sew. I have been doing it since I was about 10 or 12. I have been driving my mother crazy because I would always look at her while she sew and I would ask her about all these little details that make up the process of sewing, It was honestly kind of funny how she really didn't want to teach me. At the end I did whine my way into it and she thought me how to do it. We had an old simger at the house and probably the first thing she did was reach me how to thread on it. I cherish those moments with my mom to this day especially now that she has passed away. I have been sewing ever since I was a kid and I recently came across this really cool website with different articles regarding sewing. You guys can check it here: http://sewingmachinebuffs.com/how-to-thread-a-singer-sewing-machine/ I really like it. It has a lot of useful info for both beginners and experiences sewers (in MHO). Hope you guys will find it useful as well

Thank you for the story