Introduction

For several years now, I’ve made it a point to improve my sewing skills by making new items and mending the old ones. For me, sewing is a bit of a hobby, but I also see it as more than that – it’s a necessity. Below I’ve listed 6 of my excuses for pulling out my needle and thread – and reasons you might want to as well!

1. Modesty

“In like manner women also in decent apparel: adorning themselves with modesty and sobriety, not with plaited hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly attire, But as it becometh women professing godliness, with good works.” 1 Timothy 2:9-10

Modern fashion has leaned more and more toward sensual, revealing dress – especially for women. As Christians, we have the duty to let our light shine for Christ. How we dress is a reflection of our lives. Modest attire is a reflection of a modest life. With modest clothing options growing more scarce, the ability to sew – whether for altering or creating new pieces –  makes it easier to find modest clothing options.

2. Personalized Style

Sewing is a great way to personalize your style, and wear exactly what you feel best in. Whether it is long skirts, a more modest style of pants*, or tops with sleeves or a higher neckline, when you sew you get to create your own piece of clothing. 

*Note: While I do not advocate for women wearing pants, a looser style is much more modest than the tight-fitting styles of the world.

3. Stress Relief

“And the Lord thy God will bless thee in all thy fruits, and in every work of thy hands, and thou shalt be in joy.” Deuteronomy 16:15b

When we work with our hands, there is a certain kind of peace that envelopes us. With our mind focused on what we are attending to, it is hard to let stress and worries overtake us. And the finished product will bring a sense of joy that cannot be found by playing video-games or watching television.

4. Hand Eye Coordination

Since we use our hands to create what we envision with our eyes, sewing helps develop better hand eye coordination. It is one thing to imagine perfectly straight and equally-long stitches, but in practice, it is hard to attain. Through continued sewing, we learn to have better hand eye coordination enabling us to sew those perfect stitches we so easily envision.

5. Material Waste

“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.” 1 Corinthians 10:26

God placed man over all His creation, and as stewards of His handiwork, it is our duty to keep material waste to a minimum whenever possible. One of the ways of doing this is to sew. Not only are we more likely to end up using the fabric scraps leftover from a project, but we are also much more likely to wear what we have created for ourselves, thus eliminating much of the material waste that is connected to the commercial clothing industry. Even if we do not make our own clothing from bolts of fabric, we are still helping to eliminate material waste by mending and repairing ripped or weakly-constructed clothing.

6. Proverbs 31 Woman

“She hath made for herself clothing of tapestry: fine linen, and purple is her covering.” Proverbs 31:22

Many of the marks of the Proverbs 31 woman are closely connected to sewing. She is noted as having “sought wool and flax,” “taken hold of the spindle,” “made for herself clothing,” and “made fine linen, and sold it, and delivered a girdle to the Chanaanite.” (Chanaanite, in Hebrew, signifies a merchant.) It is also stated that “She shall not fear for her house in the cold of snow: for all her domestics are clothed with double garments.” (Prov. 31:21) The task of sewing is closely related to women who fear God. Proverbs 31 ends with the words “Give her of the fruit of her hands: and let her works praise her in the gates.” (Prov. 31:31)

Conclusion:

Sewing is a handy skill to have even if you never intend to make your own items. It can help reduce stress and material waste while increasing hand eye coordination. It is also a good way to personalize your style and make your outfits more modest. The Proverbs 31 woman was a skillful seamstress.

If you don’t know how to use a needle and thread, I suggest you start learning today! The skill of sewing comes in mighty handy!

So what do you think?

Do you think sewing is a good skill to know?

Would you prefer knowing how to make your own clothes or buying all of your wardrobe from the store?

P.S. You can also follow me at my other blog, Kenmore Pines 1, here.

To learn more about this blog check out my blog launch post here.