The Young and the Seamstress: Why every young woman should learn to sew!

Hello everyone! It's been a CRAZY week so far. Senior year comes with so many things to be done...I had no idea what was coming this year.

I wanted to take a second (aka procrastinate writing about a million papers) and talk about why I think every  young woman needs to know how to sew. It's such an underrated skill, but has so much to offer.

First of all, it seriously saves money. I know I've said it before, but this is really really REALLY important when you're just starting out. Being a student, I'm only able to work part time, and since I work for a nonprofit, I'm not making very much. I don't want to sacrifice style, but I also don't want to sacrifice my savings account. Sewing lets me have the best of both worlds. When I get tired of a certain garment, all I have to do is break out my sewing machine and within about an hour I have something brand new for no money at all.

Second, it is so much fun. I love coming home after a stressful week and getting to put all of my creative energy into something that is just for me. I spend a lot of time doing things for other people, so having something at the end of the day that is truly mine is a great feeling. The whole creative process is something I've always been passionate about. In fact, I've dedicated my life to it, working in the arts industry. Sewing is just one more creative realm for me to immerse myself in.

Third, knowing how to sew can come in so handy. In middle and high school I loved doing pageants, and without fail someone back stage would always have a major wardrobe crisis. If none of their helpers knew how to sew, they had to go onstage with a tear in their formal wear and do their best to hide it with a good pose. Same thing with prom night. Now that I'm older, being able to sew has helped me in my professional and personal lives. Once, last summer, I had to go to a training class on grant writing with a bunch of other nonprofit professionals, and when I got out of my car about an hour before my entire hem of my skirt came undone. I had a mini sewing kit in my purse and ran into the bathroom and stitched up a quick hem in one of the stalls. Another time, I was getting ready for a date and tore a seam on the side of my favorite dress. A few quick stitches and I was ready to go! Every girl has a wardrobe malfunction at least once in their lives, so doesn't it help to be prepared?

Lots of young women love sewing. I follow several blogs where women in their college years and twenties write about sewing, like Sweet Verbena and ReFashionista. It's not some lame activity for grandmothers anymore. Without great seamstresses, there would be no Vivienne Westwood or Vera Wang for us to admire. All the great designers start somewhere, usually when they're young. Why not be your own favorite designer?

I hope you have a fantastic week! Sew something today!
-Kaitlin