The Art of Hand-Sewing

Written by Mrs. Sharon White

When I was first married, my husband purchased for me my very first sewing machine. Oh, I had taken sewing classes in school and knew how to sew, but it was my life-long dream to own my own sewing machine. When we had our first baby, we lived in town within walking distance of many stores. While my husband, Jim, was at work, I would put my baby girl in her carriage and we would walk to the fabric store. I loved picking out the material and patterns! It was wonderful to have the ability to create something useful and pretty.

Since that time, I've made many dresses for my girls. Unfortunately, about 6 years ago, my machine finally broke. I couldn't afford to have it fixed, so I stopped sewing. Those were sad days! Finally, I couldn't take it anymore and decided I would just do it by hand! To my great astonishment, I found the most peaceful joy in this hobby. It relieved my stress. It calmed my nerves. It became the highlight of my day to sit outside while my children played and I would just sew! My little sewing box went everywhere with me. To the grandparent's house, outside in the yard, in the car, wherever I could carry my box and some material, I was able to keep my hands from being idle!

I began to love sewing more than ever. There was no more machine to annoy me. There was just my busy fingers and me. I sewed so much that my hands looked a bit swollen so I had to wear a pair of fingerless crocheted gloves to conceal the trauma. But would that stop me? Never! This was such a satisfying art form that I couldn't bear to give it up. I was able to mend clothes very quickly, put buttons back on shirts or fix a tear in someone's skirt. I could sew a dress for a little girl and have it completely finished within three days! I was getting good!

All five of my children, boys and girls alike, became interested in sewing and wanted their own material. They took turns with the scissors and shared my sewing box. They began to create their own treasures! Every time we went to the fabric store, each child picked out some 'scraps' and couldn't wait to get home and make something out of it!

My nine-year-old son has learned the art of "tailoring" and has become my best sewer! I can always count on his help if something needs to be made fast! He has made baby quilts, pouches and fixed ripped seams. He even helps his five-year-old brother "sew" by giving him fabric and threading a large needle for him.

My seven-year-old daughter delights in making clothes for her dolls and even though her stitches are not perfect, she is learning very quickly.

I have a 13-year-old daughter as well and she constantly amazes me with the items she makes. One day I found her in the bedroom where she had created her own skirt pattern and sewn it for her little sister. It was made from a large piece of burgundy fabric and had a shiny black button closure on the side. I thought it was a bit short so I showed her how to cut and make a ruffle for the bottom. It turned out to be one of the prettiest skirts I've ever seen.

After enjoying and perfecting our hand sewing for some time, something happened. My parents, who had seen me working so hard, decided to surprise us by giving us a brand new sewing machine. I was delighted! I thought that I wanted it so very badly because then things would be quicker and easier. Well, the day finally arrived when we unpacked the new machine and my children stood around me as we gazed in awe. I used it a few times to show the children how it worked and before long, they were often sewing on the new gift, making whatever they could imagine in just a few seconds! What an invention!

But you know, I sometimes sit on the corner of my couch, where I like to sew, and I look at that beautiful machine. Then I look back at my little sewing box and the piece of material on my lap and I hear myself sigh. As much as I love that sewing machine, I'd rather be hand-sewing!

Mrs. White is a homeschooling mother of five children. The oldest is 16 (a homeschool graduate) and the youngest is 7. She and her husband own and operate a country store in rural Vermont. You are welcome to write to her. Mrs. White publishes a quarterly magazine for homemakers called "Shalom Bayit - Peace in the Home." For more information, please visit her website.

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