Aaron’s word of inspiration this week is sewing.
I like to tell people that my mother has domesticated me. While I do so jokingly, I am honestly proud of the skills I have.
My mom was raised in the 60’s (she was born in 57) by my grandmother who became a wife/mother in the 1930’s (my mom’s oldest sibling was born in 36). So I always say that I could be a 1950’s house wife (ya know aside from the tattoos and the independent attitude and sass).
I can sew, crochet, knit, cross stitch, cook, clean – you name it! Bring me a pair of pants and I can hem them BY HAND! Not very well, but I can do it!
When I was a nanny, I put these skills to use. I altered the children’s clothes a lot. Turning school uniform pants into shorts when the knees had huge holes in them, darning socks, hemming karate uniform pants so the kids could grow with them, ripping out a knitted scarf where there was a hole and fixing it for one of the girls since it was her favourite, even making handmade blankets for each of the four children one Christmas.
But one thing that always surprised me was the inability for the mother of the family to do any of that. Like ok, I get it, you don’t know how to hem a pair of pants. Not a lot of people do, and I can’t do it well enough to be done on anything that will be seen by lots of people, BUT this mother couldn’t even sew on a button or sew up a hole in a sock. Maybe wouldn’t is a better assessment of the situation? Maybe I was just expecting too much effort on her part? LOL
I like that I have those skills though. It kind of sets me apart. I can knit and crochet up gifts for people which are more meaningful than store bought things. And I can fix little things that need to be fixed. If I get a little hole in something, I can easily fix it. Or if I drop a lot of weight, I can take things in without having to pay for someone else to alter them. It’s super great.
I think simple things like that are a life skill that everyone should have. It saves so much waste – both in throwing things out or paying someone else to do it. But I have always had a “why pay others when I can do it myself” mentality.
How about you? Can you sew? Do you do things that others pay for? Lemme know in the comments below!
I too learned to hand and machine sew. My mom made a few outfits for us when we were young. I’ve made drapes before and lots of pillows. But my sister sews beautifully. She reupholstered six kitchen chairs last year and even made my wedding dress!
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Oh WOW!!! My mom used to knit us sweaters every winter! She would find a pattern for a character from our favuorite tv show. I had quite a few “My Little Pony” ones haha and she would make me dresses too. It’s such a fantastic skill! She has a machine but can do hand sewing as well. My brother can use a machine better than I can but he used it for his cadet uniforms. My mom said she supported his choice to be in cadets but it was his uniform and his responsibility so she taught him how to run the machine and he did all the work himself.
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That’s fabulous! My oldest son can hand sew but I get asked to take things in and take up hems!
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Haha! Oh I still take things to my mom to sew 😂 all the time
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I can’t see. My grandmother sewed often and well in her prime, later years. Hi T! Hope you are well !!
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Sew* 😆
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Hey Gretchen! I am very well thanks!! How about you? Its been a while since I’ve seen you around!
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I’m good. Forgot my password for a bit and just forgot to log in. Fb has sucked me in even though i hate it. 😆😆 life is good, despite ((obvious)) bull shhhh. I’m enjoying my summer and am about to embark on an 18/hour road trip. 🤩😁😁😁
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Both of my grandmothers were seamstresses of some kind by profession. One of them stopped a few years ago due to arthritis, the other is still sewing to this day. But I? have zero sewing skills. None. I’m like that mom who can’t sew a button or fix a sock haha. I used to play in my grandmothers sewing rooms all the time “designing” things, but somehow this never translated to sewing! I applaud your skill!!
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Awww haha! I don’t think its a skill most of my/your generation learned lol I am just bitter against this mother 😂
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Hahaha absolutely understandable 😛 it’s a great skill to have though!
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Yup, I can sew by hand and machine. I have clothes in my wardrobe I made myself and repair clothes as needed. (I also have a cupboard full of patterns and fabric I *will* sew one day when I have time – nearly all for me, lol).
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I know how to sew and my mom has tried to teach me on the sewing machine, but I purchased my machine second hand and it has been broke the entire time I’ve had it which has made learning on it quite difficult. But I also have the mentality of “why pay someone if I can do it?” That’s why I’ve built my own furniture and learned how to install my own light fixtures and even rewire a chandelier! Most recently I’ve learned how to change the oil on my lawn mower and think I might give it a go in my car the next time. 🙂
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Ooooo AMAZING! I love seeing all the upgrades you do on furniture and things!
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We had to take home ec in high school and part of that included a sewing course. The fact that Home Ec is not taught in high schools now is one of my pet peeves.
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Awww I had similar classes! In grade 8 it was mandatory and then I took a parenting class in high school which focused on some sewing skills and a nutrition class that did food prep/cooking
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