Classic Wife, Modern Life: Learn to Sew!

There are many things housewives used to do that is now only done by a few: cooking everything from scratch, starching your husband's shirts, and a big one, sewing. Sewing can save you money, help you relax and give you a great feeling of accomplishment. It is also a fun way to carry down traditions as many women learn to sew from their mothers or grandmothers. When I think of classic living, I most definitely think of sewing as a part of it. Housewives can sew children's clothing, fix store bought clothing, make great gifts and make house decorations.

When did women stop using the skills learned in Home Ec class? A lot of women don't even take Home Ec anymore as it is not politically correct to offer it in schools and it's even more politically incorrect for a women to WANT to be good at things like cooking, cleaning and sewing. In my school it wasn't even called Home Ec, it was called Independent Living Skills and focused on cooking basic 'bachelor' style meals. I remember the only sewing we did was sewing a scrap of fabric using a few different stitch options.

If you don't know how to sew, ask! Ask your mom, aunt, grandmother or a friend to teach you how to sew. It can be a fun afternoon/day/weekend project. Do some practicing to see if you like it, then buy a machine a go for it! I have just a simple machine that cost around $100 from Hancock Fabric and it works just fine for me. My mom taught me how to sew last year in preparation for my nephew's birth. I wanted to make him a special blanket with lots of love that he can cherish for the rest of his life! No store-bought presents from this Auntie! The great thing about homemade things is they don't have to be perfect!

It can be a lot of fun picking out your fabric, thinking about thread combinations and accessories and planning the perfect project.

Since learning to sew I have had a lot of fun. Here are my projects so far, some with patterns, some just eye-balled :)