by Chanell Gautreaux

Created on: December 23, 2011   Last Updated: December 26, 2011

Knowing how to sew is of great value at any age. Sewing is a pleasant pastime for some, and a means of necessity for others. For children, making things is an exciting and fun adventure (and basically another form of play); while for adults it is generally a practical and productive way to spend their time.

The ability to create even the most basic of seam (such as a running stitch) is one of the most important practical skills someone can have. Even if a person is not interested in making their own clothing, simply being able to replace a button, or put a hem in a skirt or pair of pants in an emergency situation is invaluable.

Of course there are other benefits to knowing how to sew; it’s a given that anyone with this skill can make a wide variety of items for themselves from clothing to home décor items. As well, items can also be created to be presented to others as gifts, or even to sell for income. Sewing is often economical as well, particularly with a crafty person who buys supplies on sale and reuses and recycles items already on hand.

Knowing how to sew allows a person to make their own clothing alterations should they need to take in a garment or otherwise adjust its fit. This can save hundreds of dollars over time, particularly for families. Someone who has the ability to sew can turn old clothing into new clothing, such as turning a shirt into a dress, pants into a skirt, or completely reshaping and reinventing a garment. A person who has the ability to sew can recycle clothing or other textiles into personal accessories such as hats and bags, or décor items such as patchwork quilts, curtains or pillows.

Sewing is also one of those activities that provides an individual with a real and tangible sense of accomplishment. Whether practical and functional or simply decorative, creating things by one’s own hands increases feelings of self-worth and contentment. The process itself is often therapeutic, and the end result gratifying.

Sewing can be done by hand or by machine and doesn’t require special training or years and years of practice in order to create something useful. Hand sewing is an art unto itself and those who develop their skill at it are highly sought after (real designer clothing is hand sewn). Machine sewing takes less time and therefore is sometimes the more popular approach, particularly with beginners.

Whether someone chooses hand sewing or machine sewing, the end result is still the same; the satisfaction of doing it one’s self.

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