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| Courtesy of crummyrummy from someecards.com... |
Some months past, I was doing my usual procrastinating on starting a really simple sewing project when I decided to sit down at the computer and google what others like least about sewing.
This card by crummyrummy came up first. Interesting thought, but I've never come across people who out and out ask me to make things for them... other than my husband, who thinks I should be able to sew anything.
Not finding much on my first search, I decided to apply a stronger word and came up with all sorts of results for what people hate about sewing. Now, I'm of the opinion that one should never actually hate something about what one supposedly likes to do, so in this post, I'm merely going to refer to what I like least about sewing.
I came up with a few things.
Getting started
Did you see my comment above about procrastinating? I am not a procrastinator by nature and have always done things ahead of time and well ahead of other people's deadlines. When it comes to sewing, however, I sometimes find myself very slow to get started. It's almost as if I don't like the process of starting a new project. Or maybe it's...
Cutting fabric
You can't sew without cutting fabric and I truly dislike cutting fabric. (I came across other people who shared this opinion.) It would be so much easier if I had a robot helper who could do all of that for me and then just lay out the pieces next to my sewing machine. I could then happily sew all kinds of neat and nifty projects because — truth be told — I have not pursued projects simply because I can't convince myself to cut the many pieces of fabric for them. Sewing just...
Takes so much preparation time and effort
Yeah, there's that too. If only sewing was just sewing. But there's the selection of fabric, gathering of materials, measuring and cutting and laying out of pattern pieces and usually extensive interfacing...! (This took up my entire first day on my recent Flight Bag project.) It all takes a lot of time and I would never rush that part of it, because I truly believe that if I don't put in my best effort at this juncture, I'm short-changing myself with regards to the finished project.
And finally, there's this fact...
"I can buy this for cheaper than it costs me to make it!"
Sewing can be an expensive hobby. This complaint has been made by many crafters. Case in point, the roll-up toiletry case that I've been working out a pattern for on and off over the past year or so, I managed to BUY for $4.99! (Four freakin' ninety-nine?? I said when I first saw it.)
The thing is, I'm of an age that can recall when this wasn't the case. When my mother sewed clothing, when I first sewed clothing, it was definitely cheaper to make our own than to buy. I remember when stores had fabric departments. (They also had big thick pattern books that you could flip through and then find your own copy of in these huge filing cabinets.) Nowadays, you're required to go off the beaten path to find fabric stores that charge you an arm and a leg for a yard of interfacing... or a spool of thread... or five buttons. Luckily, with online purchasing options or some creative thinking, a little of that pain can be alleviated. (The trade-off is that you are forever waiting for "stuff" to arrive... if it arrives.)
A while back, I posted about how it was not my "norm" to spend $35 to $50 buying a purse. Now that I think about it, spending that amount to make a purse is not so different, and I have a hard time justifying that expense also. (Yeah, I know the justification... it's one-of-a-kind, unique, handmade, blah, blah, blah.)
It's probably why — LOL — I spend more time writing about sewing than actually sewing! (And speaking of writing, don't you think this is an ironic topic for my 100th blog post??)
Sooo.... what do you like least about sewing?
The cutting, definitely the cutting out is the part I like the least!!! I'd like one of those robot helpers or maybe a cutting fairy. I, too, can remember stores with a fabric department, when it was cheaper to make than to buy. And if you did buy ready to wear, the garments had been made in our country (Australia) and they were made to last.
ReplyDeleteIt's so ironic you have posted this! John and I have just ventured on quite a trip and we did a lot of talking about sewing. I brought handwork with me for the ride (hexies plus a few smaller projects that needed to be hand bound finished binding). I was telling him that I wasn't sure there was much about the quilting process I did not like...ironing, cutting, sewing, ironing again...and often, AGAIN...the basting...I don't even mind basting for craps sake! Don't mind trimming HSTs...and while I am NOT a hand sewer b ANY stretch, I actually enjoy hand binding and hexies...if I were pressed, I ..might say selecting the fabric is the worst part of quilting for me? And as I make many bags as well, I need to include it too. Again, ironing all that interfacing? Nope, don't mind a bit...but again, fabric selection....absolutely DAUNTING. But mostly, I just enjoy all the aspects of it. I think that is why I keep so many projects in process (SERIOUSLY, don't even begin to ask how many...you DONT WANT TO KNOW)...it is easy to pick up a project ALREADY IN PROCESS, so the fabric has been chosen! It might be a bag, a zip pouch, something simple like tissue holders that are stacked and precut in a bin, doggie bandanas, already cut and ready, or a quilt, blocks made, some with just pieces cut, some ready for basting, some ready for quilting, some part quilted, maybe a bin of small neckties, also being stitched for shelter dogs, perhaps a bin of "table scraps" all cut and ready to assemble (table scraps are what I call the dog and cat beds I Make for shelter animals for their emotional and physical comfort)...ear...um...okay, I could list Many other projects...but then if I did that, I might as well tally up the number of bins stacked to the ceiling (or should I say number of stacks of stacks:-))
ReplyDeleteMMm - now this made me think. At different stages of different projects there are parts that frustrate me and I'd rather not do. The handstitching to finish something off is probably my least favourite bit, just because I'm impatient to finish by the end! But my least favourite part would have to be having to refill my sewing bobbin in the middle of sewing something! So frustrating! I'd like someone to invent endless rolls of thread please! :)
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