"Why do you sew?"

Because I work in a Fabric Store AND the economy is super slow AND sewing is a dying art form (for reasons I clearly see and will get into another day, if I remember) . . .
. . . Very often customers will comment about all the fabric stores that have closed, and how it is no longer a fact that people sew to save money on clothing.
Yes, it is true, with stores like Walmart, Target, and so on for a good dozen more.... as well as thrift stores in every community, and the great deals that Online shopping has to offer . . . sewing isn't as much a "necessity" as it once was. Nor is it necessary for people to sew to have things that look 'cool' or even unique, thanks to said online shopping and easy access to "the little shops" worldwide.

So people often ask me, Especially as a working mother of FIVE children, "Why do you sew?"

They are amazed that I'm not yet fascinated with quilting.
I'm slowly getting into it, but I'm way to linear a thinker. You need to be more "free" with your thoughts for quilting to be fully enjoyed (in my opinion anyway.)

**I love to sew, mostly clothing. Jason and the kids all tend to really enjoy what I sew for them. I love to make simple baby blankets which I have dubbed my 'cheater quilts' (it used to be the closest thing to real "quilting" I did, until recently.)
**I love that my family and others I have sewn for enjoy what I have made for them.
**I love that what I make isn't going to fall apart the first time it's washed, and the seems won't fray either.
**I love creating something from a piece of fabric and a pattern.
**I love that my Mom and my Nana rubbed off on me and I've been able to sew for what feels like nearly my entire life. (age 10 or 12? I bought my first machine from a parent aged friend of a friend). I'll never have the skills my Nana had, but I hope I can at least do a good job carrying on a love for the craft and skill that she passed to my Mom, and they passed on to me.

Now, one of the main reasons we, collectively, as a family, love that I sew, is that it means they have something that NOONE else has. This became MUCH more important to them after our time in Okinawa. When you've got a whole slew of Americans all shopping at the Exchange (which only gets a limited size selection to choose from), you tend to walk into the first day of school with the same shirt on as at LEAST 10 other kids in your grade. (sadly my umph to really sew ALOT came after we arrived here and I was going bonkers and needed to work on projects with short term completion dates...cross-stitch doesn't offer immediate satisfaction.)

-----HOWEVER ----- one of the funniest stories I have told the kids over the years is that even when you sew, there is NO guarantee someone else you know doesn't have the SAME idea for the very same fabric they saw and loved at the store.

Case in point:

When growing up in Massachusetts, we lived not too far from Fabric Mill Outlet stores. Talk about HEAVEN (were can I find those today?????).

Anyway, my Mom was always wishing I'd be a little more willing to wear floral prints, and when I was 17-ish she found this really cute black fabric with flower-like stuff on it. I loved it. She made me a comfy sun dress which I then wore to church. Apparently, one of her close friends , and pretty much the only woman besides my Mom or Mother-in-law I viewed in that "Mom" category (in my efforts to not use last names with first or photos, I'll call her Mom2). Anyway, from what I remember, Mom2 saw the dress and told my Mom that SHE had the exact same fabric, and had made HerSELF a dress nearly the same as mine. I guess they were worried I'd be put off at the thought of wearing mine after seeing a "Mom" in it. (I guess if it was something where I saw her and thought either "ugh, now I look old in my dress." or "ugh, she's trying to look like a teenager." then maybe they would have been right.) But that was NOT the case.
Well, I love her; she looked great in her dress, and she loved it. I loved my dress, and thought I looked pretty good too.

SO, I always tell the kids, sew 'cause its fun, useful, and you can have something Unique, but it's not so bad when someone does the same Think of it this way: You BOTH had great taste :o)!!!

Well - - - After them hearing this story a few times over the 3 years in Okinawa, last week I was unpacking some boxes from storage, and came across THIS PHOTO: (LOVE IT!!)






They immediately said "Hey, that's you and the other Mom and the dresses you and Grandma both made!" "Twins". And they LOVE to keep it out now.