Friday 23 October 2015

Why More Young People Should Learn To Sew

Hello!

For those of you who know me, you're probably already aware that I sew most of my own clothes. I'm a completely self taught sewer (and avid sewing blog follower), inspired to get to grips with a sewing machine after watching the first series of The Great British Sewing Bee in 2013. I've been sewing for nearly two years now, and still get the same feeling of excitement and accomplishment every time I complete a new garment.

Unfortunately, for many young adults the sewing machine still appears to be viewed as something only used by the older generation, but it doesn't have to stay this way! I emailed the lovely Tilly Walnes, author of the blog Tilly and the Buttons, sewing pattern designer and contestant on The Great British Sewing Bee, to ask for her opinion. This is what she had to say:

"Sewing isn't just for grandmas (not that there's anything wrong with grandmas) - it's a post-apocalyptic life skill. Maker culture is thriving - from growing your own food to building your own treehouse, engineering a robot to sewing your own dresses - as people seek an antidote to fast fashion and consumer culture, and take pleasure in the satisfaction of making something with your own hands. Making your own clothes - and actually wearing them out in public - is one of the most fulfilling things you can do!"

As Tilly mentions, there's recently been a huge revival in the creative industry, fuelled by an obvious desire to escape our increasingly technological world, as well as people making a change to their consumerist lifestyles - sewing your own clothes is not only fun, it's also far more ethical than buying a cheaply made garment from a fast fashion chain store.

It can also be difficult to develop an individual style when the only choices of clothes you have are being provided by high street stores. When you sew your own, the garment, pattern, fabric choice and design details are all down to you, so you can make a piece of clothing that is exactly how you want it, fitted to tailor your exact measurements.

So, I'm on a mission to get more people sewing. If you'd like to have a go at using a sewing machine or sewing your own clothes, don't hesitate to ask me for help! The society has several machines that our members are welcome to use (we'll be having a workshop teaching you how to use them next semester), and which I'm happy to teach you with. If you'd like to get together for help with me at any point, just drop me a message and we can arrange a sewing night!

Lets get the world sewing, yeah?

Beth :)

(Thank you to Tilly Walnes for contributing to this post, and if anyone's interested, my own sewing blog can be found here.)

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