If you’re a sewist, there are certain universal things all of us can relate to. You know, the things that we are constantly having to explain to all the non-sewists in our lives. So today I thought I’d take a shortcut and make this list – that way, we can just share this article with the people who don’t get it. So…
8 Things All People Who Sew Wish You Knew About Them
1. Don’t Use Our Fabric Scissors
It’s true – sewists are a little crazy about their scissors. Why? Because we use them to cut fabric, and when you use them to cut other things, they don’t cut fabric well. This is why we will go to extreme measures to hide our sewing scissors and why we FREAK.OUT. when they get used on something else.
True story: I remember being about 5 years old with hair to my waist. On the day I’m thinking of, my mom had styled it in two very long pony tails. I had been asking for short hair for a while, but that day I decided to take matters into my own hands when I saw my mom’s sewing scissors (which I wasn’t allowed to use).
And I cut off one entire ponytail.
I’m not sure if my mom was madder that I cut my hair, or that I used her sewing scissors to do it.
Moral of the story: Don’t touch the sewing scissors. Just don’t.
2. Sewing is not a dying art.
All sewists have had this happen – we’ve met a new acquaintance, and somehow the fact that we sew gets mentioned. And then we get THE LOOK. Like we have 3 heads.
Sewing used to be a skill that was taught in public school, and every girl knew how to do it. In my grandmother’s time, most homes had a sewing machine. But then ready wear clothing became more affordable, women started to work outside the home, and sewing fell by the wayside. It kind of skipped a generation.
But it’s NOT a dying art! In fact, sewing as a creative hobby is currently experiencing a resurgence. , Younger sewists got interested and took to the internet to learn since it’s often not a school subject or something every mom taught their kids anymore. It’s not hard to find the vibrant and active sewing community online now. There are bloggers, Instagrammers, Facebook groups – so many ways to interact. And industry market research backs this up as well – the sewing machine market is growing and is projected to continue to grow.
So next time you meet someone who sews, don’t act so surprised.
3. Don’t bring us your mending.
Look – you’re not doing us a favor. While sewing in the past was mostly a practical household skill, now there are fewer household with a machine, and those that do have one are usually hobbyists. And hobbyists don’t get their creative buzz from fixing your old clothes.
Mending and alterations are such common requests that I actually wrote a post about how to say no to these sewing requests. And let me tell you – the sewing community loves that post. So unless your sewing friend has SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED that they are happy to do mending or alterations, do us all favor and take them to your local tailor.
4. Anyone who wants to learn to sew, can.
This is similar to number 2. And it is often the follow up statement to the 3-headed look. “That’s amazing! That must take so much skill!”
Yes, sewing is a skill. But it’s like cooking or car repair or any other skill – ANYONE can learn to do it, and ANYONE can get better with practice. If it’s something you’re interested in, go for it! Many sewists give in person lessons, or there is a wealth of internet information if you prefer an independent learning style. For example – I have a FREE learn to sew course right here.
5. Sewing is not just for women and girls.
This shouldn’t be something that needs to be said, but there is often an assumption that only women sew. While the sewing community is slanted toward women, I’m noticing a trend myself – something I heard another blogger call “secret man sewists”. They’re out there – men who have discovered the creative art of sewing.
For examples, look to the sewing soldier from The Great British Sewing Bee, Taylor Tailor, Man Sewing, Male Pattern Boldness, and men in sewing Facebook groups or commenting on Facebook pages and sharing their posts on Instagram.
Sewing is an equal opportunity hobby.
6. There are different types of sewing.
I love to sew clothing. Others love to quilt. Others love to sew for their homes. All of these types of sewing require slightly different skill sets, and just because a sewist can do one doesn’t mean they can (or want to) do any of the other types.
7. Not everyone who sews wants to have an Etsy shop.
We realize that this is mostly a compliment when people say, “Oh, that’s so good, you should open your own Etsy shop!” And that’s fine, and most of us have the manners to say, “Oh, thank you.”
But when you keep pushing it, or make more than that one comment, it gets old. There’s a lot more to having an Etsy shop than just being able to sew. And some of us have no desire to tackle all that other side of things. Not to mention – sewing multiples of the same item is the definition of torture for some of us.
So we’ll take the compliment. Once. After that, please don’t bring it up again!
8. Some of our fabric will never be cut or sewn.
Some sewists are very good at only buying fabric for a current project and not having a stash. But for the majority of us, at some point we’ll see some beautiful fabric and we’ll succumb to buying it without a project in mind.
And then it will probably happen again.
We will occasionally pet that beautiful fabric, and dream of the perfect project, but sometimes it never happens. Sometimes that fabric is fulfilling it’s purpose for us without being cut or sewn. And that’s OK, so unless our stash has grown to fire hazard/call the Hoarders producers/can’t find the sewing machine under all that fabric status, don’t mention it. We’ll love you more for letting us love our fabric.
Andrea_R
I was at a business function and mentioned I quilted. The CFO made a comment about how it was a “dying art”, so my reply was, “It’s a 4 billion dollar a year industry.”
I’ve never seen him that speechless. 😀
Folake
Nice one.
June S
❤️!!
Cassandra
Love this. how about, if you love to do something you make time for it! I get so tired of people asking me where I find the time. Usually they have no interest in making time to sew themselves, just judge how I spend my time? Also, I’d love people to know that yes, making something I’m proud of takes a lot of time! But I’ve stopped answering “how long did that take you?” With more than “it was a commitment.”
Inspinration
This is so true, in the beginning I was feeling bad, like I probably wasn’t doing something that I should. I easily find time to sew, but nowadays I just remark that I do not watch television in the evening, then people usually realize where I find my time.
KChu
I get this all the time too, especially from moms since I’m a mom of 3 very young kids. I tell them that instead of watching tv at night when the kids are asleep, I sew. It’s not a task, but a way of relaxation for me. I hear this comment the most! It gets so tiring….
the shopping ninja
I usually only have time to sew when the baby is asleep, and I have had lots of coffee.
Annet M
Actually, the hair with the fabric scissors isn’t quite right – the natural oils in hair (I suppose not hair that is fully hairsprayed) keeps fabric scissors lubricated, so some people use them for both! I saw an interview with a famous designer once (Armani I’m thinking?) and he couple times a day runs his shears through his hair!
But everything else… don’t touch my scissors! 🙂
Cheryl
While I’m not sure about cutting hair will dull scissors blades, the lubrication of the hair has helped me in other ways. When using straight pins and a difficult fabric, I run a straight pin through my hair to get that extra oomph for the pin. Works like a charm every time.
p.s. I am teaching my grandaughter to sew, and I wind up buying new pins. My pins must have little bitty legs and tend to walk off. Anyway, I know the pins aren’t dull.
I love your classes and tutorials and have found that you CAN teach an old dog new tricks.
Elizabeth Farr
I feel like I need a separate wallet just to house business cards for my local tailor for all the people I’ve sent to her to hem jeans that will, “…probably just take you like 10 minutes to do.”
And as proof of #8, I have pieces in my stash from my husband’s grandmothers. Two pieces are some very funky wool from the 40s that are great quality but very dated colors, but I also have tons of lace which I cherish getting to incorporate into my garments.
Sue
I have some pink stripe that my grandaughter-in-law gave me after her grandmother passed, I think my stash pales in comparison to
Grandma Edith’s. I’m in the process of making it into a dress for my great-grandaughter who turned 1 on Monday. new little doll to sew for.
EK
Another comment is ‘you are so patient!’ I got this once off a male friend after we’d sat on the sofa watching motor racing while I hand quilted… I told him, ‘you are the patient one, you just spent two hours watching cars drive round in circles…’
Mikea
I agree! Hahaha at least you were nice and sat with him. I usually take off to my machine and leave my husband with his sports and our littles
Carol Gardiner
This was a great post! I really like your blog and have found it very helpful. I sew for two little girls who live in Texas (I live in CA). Their mom does not sew, so when she sent me their measurements the numbers were so incredibly off that they were not helpful at all. I sent her a link to your “how to measure” video and she was so excited. She told me ” I know how to measure now!” The numbers finally make sense.
I also wanted short hair when I was four. Pixies were very in at the time. I used my mom’s pinking shears to cut my ponytail. Oops, not a good idea. I still have those pinking shears and her regular shears as well.
Deirdre C
Omgosh – all so true.
A school mom asked me late one friday to turn up a hem on her dress that was needed for a competition. 240inches around that hem. On 2 dresses! Dont think I’ll ever sew a hem again!!
April
Oh my gosh, is this truth!!! Recently, somebody in my family used my sewing shears to cut A WIRE. They all know better and nobody will admit to it, but there’s a distinct tell-tale notch in one blade and a nice scrape down the inside of the other. My blood pressure is rising just typing this.
We had family who lived next door to us who were always bringing me things to repair and hem ALL. THE. TIME. Never offered payment or compensation of any kind. I was so glad when they moved. Although shortly after they did they brought me half a dozen shop shirts that needed those name label things sewn on, and, while I was annoyed, I didn’t have time to do them anyway, so I let them sit for two weeks. My BIL got huffy and said they could do them themselves if I wasn’t going to do them. Lol. They took them away and haven’t given me anything to sew since. 🙂
Jennie C.
The only time I’ve ever expressed anger towards my in-laws was when my father-in-law used my fabric scissors to cut a bunch of cardboard. I apologized… but I’m pretty sure he’ll never do that again.
Kay Goodrow
I am a 70 yr. old retiree and I have a sewing room (Kay’s Studio) and I spend most of the day there. I have done it all. I have 9 grandkids and 6 are girls. Four of them I can still sew for. Right now I am loving making American Girl Doll clothes. I just love sewing cute dresses. Stash I have a closet full. I also have an embroidery machine that I love to use. I make something everyday. I also do crafts of all sorts. I stay pretty busy. It is said “Idle hands are the devils workshop.” My hands r always busy. Loved the 8 tips.
April
I teach sewing at a high school in the Family and Consumer Science department, so it is still taught at schools that can afford the program!!! Also, my fiancé once used my snips to trim his NOSE HAIRS!!! I thought I was going to die!
Cheryl
Did you marry him anyway? lol
Jen B
I found your post on pinterest today, and last week came across another pin that fit number 8. It said “No one expects a stamp collector to use their stamps to post letters, or a coin collector to use their coins in a vending machine. So why do they expect fabric collectors to use their fabric?”
Karen
Love that!!!!!!
Cheryl
I do like your use of the phrase ‘fabric collectors ‘. It’s so classy, as opposed to “oh, that’s my sable area”. Stash acquisition beyond life expectancy.
Lacey
This is a bumper sticker in the making! Love it.
Jane on Whidbey
Loved these! #8 gets truer annualy, lol.
Jane on Whidbey
Loved these! #8 gets truer annually, lol.
Nancy S. Brandt
My husband and I hadn’t been married very long when his father came to our house to visit. While there he decided to mend our screen door and picked up my sewing scissors to cut the screen. I was not in the room but my husband stopped him and said, “Mom sews. Haven’t you learned not to touch sewing scissors?”
I’m also a fantasy author so my time is limited as far as sewing goes because I’m at home writing most days. Sunday is my sewing day and I am SUPER jealous of that time. When Hubby and the Boy want to go to Gramma’s to watch TV (we don’t have cable) on Sunday afternoons, I just stare at them and say “But it’s Sunday!” My husband moved all my sewing stuff to the back half of our bedroom and we call it “The Kingdom.” When things get stressful with our 13-yr-old ADHD boy, Hubby will say, “Why don’t you go to the Kingdom and let me deal with this?”
Patricia Tumlinson
Enjoyed the your 8 things about sewing. I have been sewing since I was 8 (I am 61). I can make just about anything I get request to make but like alterations it might not be something I would want to do. People who don’t sew will never understand that. I am working on some quilts that I am making up as I go…never had a quilting class but I know I can do this! Thanks for all the encouraging words!
Lilly
I Love This, All are so true, Especially #1
Rox
I feel like I was one of 3 sewists in the 80’s and 90’s! Yea the look on people’s faces when they found out that I sew. ” Why don’t you just buy it instead of making it?” I said I prefer quality. ” can you HELP me make this prom dress?” She tried to drop off the material and pattern and thought she would go out to lunch, wrong! I just started telling people ” No, I only see for people I love”, that directed them to a tailor!
Lim see tua
I thought I was the only one who is obsessed about beautiful fabric. Thanks to you I know now that we sewists have many things in common.
Helen L. Fairbairn
Now I don’t feel so bad–number 8 is perfect! Wish there was a poster of the “I’d stop buying—-I’m not a quitter”. I love it. Great posts, all. I am a quilter (81 yrs. young) and do NOT mend, alter, sew buttons or do anything logical except quilt.
granders
I love your posts. I absolutely love sewing/creating my own clothes, but I work otherwise so my time is limited. Recently I decided to go back to my ? so I’m back at it whenever I can. I only sew for myself though. I’m glad I make time to open this newsletter cause I’m inspired to continue my art whenever I can make it possible. Thanx…..
Souri
Thank you for great tips, I love these wise and wonderful insight. I have crossed these people who asked me for favor and I got nothing in return but I learned a lesson and that is what’s important. Thanks you again.
Erika
So true! My FIL has had me hem 4 pairs of pants for him, two of which were SWEATPANTS from Walmart!! I hated to say no though because they do help us out with the kids. But still….
And I’m so glad I’m not alone in not wanting to make the same thing repeatedly.
Mona sprouse
Guilty on all and I am not ashamed except for one fault ……how do I stop myself from feeling of someone’s clothes….I do it without thinking! The fabric calls to me …..”feel me”!
Hafsa
Hahaha, great post , i thought i ws the only one drooling over beautiful fabric and then buying it without any specific project in mind =p
Jenny
All of 8- I hate mending ..I prefer to sew a whole outfit. .. My blood pressure raises when people are in my working space.. I love buying fabric even though I don’t see them in years.
Randall J
Men have sewn just as long as women. Their may be more of ypu than us but there are more of us making a living at it than you ladies. Tailers have been majority male for centuries. I taught myself taught myself to sew back in the 80’s because my wife refused to sew and with three kids and a cheap scate husband one of us needed to know how to do the mending. I mostly just sew garb… I am in the SCA, but I also do other crafts and reapolster furniture, make curtains and have even sewn a tent. Sewing is definately not just for women!
Tracy
I was always interested with making things since a little girl…fancied myself as a bit of a designer. Mum sewed as did hers, more out of nessessity than for joy but if you went near the frabric scissors you’ d get a clip round the ear. Im old enough that tbey still taught sewing for one term in senior school. My lovely teacher tried her best to teach me to use a machine but in the end banned me from them coz i was too clumsy and dangerous! When it came to sewing i had all the interest but zero talent. Even my hand sewn patches would fall off within 24 hours. But i just loved the feel and flow of fabric. I gave up and turned to creating with other things. That was until a couple years ago. I got fat. Searching for new clothes for my girth o got so disappointed with the choices. So many boring items. Why just because im bigger do i have to look like a brown tent??!! Im a bit of a hippy so wanted flowy colourful nice feel clothes not nylon sweat bags. I tried the old machine. It felt so good. I took to it so well i bought a new machine capable of zig zags and pretty stiches. Im hooked big time and have a fabric stash to be proud of i can run my fingers over whenever i like and some wonderful clothes. Articles and websites like these have helped so much to inspire and guide and i thank you.
Michele Brakewood
I love these. I have a couple of standard answers for people who want me to hem/alter. For those who want me to hem and say it will only take 10 minutes, I always respond with, “Oh, you sew.” When they say no, which they always do, I ask how they know it will only take 10 minutes. Always with a smile on my face. For the rest, I tell them I don’t even mend/alter my own clothes, and I’m certainly not going to alter anyone elses. And that is true. I don’t even sew a button back on, even if I made the outfit to begin with and sewed the buttons on originally. I just don’t.
Marilyn
I’m one of those people that enjoy doing alterations, but I did it out of my house for 40 years for a living. I’m old enough to have attended a vocational high school for girls, where you could major in dressmaking. Sewing class was 4 periods a day, and we were taught everything. After high school, I worked in a major department store for 7 years, doing alterations. Vocational schools for girls where you learn to sew don’t exist anymore, nor do department stores that offer alterations, to my knowledge.
I’ve sewn everything from clothing to home decor, to quilts.
Due to some health issues, I had to stop doing alterations for people about 7 years ago. Now I have an Etsy store where I sell American Girl doll clothes to adult collectors, and when I have time, I make quilts.
My fabric “collection” is huge! I’m always buying cotton prints that I like, without any project in mind. Most of my doll clothes are made from quilting cottons, so what I buy can be used for either. I did “purge” my collection last year, since we were moving to a smaller house. My collection at that time was 27 thirty gallon totes, which I pared down to 20. My sewing room has always been in the basement, and I’ll admit that I end up taking up about 3/4 of the basement space with my “stuff”, when you figure in cutting tables and sewing storage.
My family knows better than to touch my sewing scissors! I made sure a long time ago to have scissors in almost every room in the house so they weren’t tempted, and that’s really helped.
Alma Tallman
I showed my family the sewing shears and hid them. Plenty of other scissors handy helped. I loved teaching sewing and DD did first 4H presentation on get ready, get set, sew. Can still hear hear her saying stop at the top! That take up lever is to take up the thread after it goes around the bobbin. If you leave it down and pull out the fabric -when you next start to sew- chances are it will pull the thread out of needle! Don’t watch the needle- it will hypmotize you. OK I can’t spell. Watch the seam gage on plate of machine and guide the fabric straight at needle.. If you have a crooked bump in stitching – don’t rip – until you have gone from straight stitch to straight stitch. the clip stitch of crooked area and rip back to straight. Other wise you will sew the crooked row again. don’t know why – but it works for me!
Have a snip scissors to cut thread at angle to put thru the needle. They put finger behind the eye of needle so you can see light. This enlarges the hole to get the thread thu. Then use finger to hold thread and then pull thru needle. Loved the 301 and 401 Singers. A serger with the 301 is a great help.
Alma Tallman
Don’t skip the pretty fabrics – a fat quarter can sit on the shelf – with no quilt feelings. Can be used later for a quilt or other fancy pillow or craft.
I have that fun aqua collection – retired and will do applique on shirts and maybe make a fun quilt with a pretty sheet. Quilts ae not my thing. But pretty aqua fabric was!
Sarah Abercrombie
Thank you for this it was hilarious! I’ve only been sewing for three months, but I’ve made over 15 garments, two quilts, and two Aiden And Anais Dream Blanket copycats, (OF COURSE my sister needed one for her daughter after I made it for my 2yo son) …. and today finally finished my first Bodice Sloper/Draped Bodice/Etoile/Moulage-whatever you want to call it lol…OH and I have a full time job and a toddler so I love when people “can’t see how I have the time to see”…puhleese!!! My response is the same when they “can’t see how I have the time to exercise” …” I don’t watch TV” Yes! Exactly! THANK YOU Melissa. I’ve learned a ton from you over the past few months. Thank you for being an inspiration!
Charlotte
I sew, I’ve done all three…clothing, household items and quilting. I love the comment about buying fabric and never actually using it. I worked for a fabric store for about 6 months probably 25 years ago. I still have fabric I purchased then but have never cut into. Some day…maybe. And keep your hands off my good scissors!