Background, history, sewing hints and tips for the newbie…
There are two ways of sewing of course – by hand and machine. There are benefits as well as drawbacks for each, writes Marie in an excellent recent introduction to the noble art on the Sewing Is Awesome website.
The article begins with a reflection on fast fashion – which for many is deemed “not the answer” as ever greater numbers of people reject it. And in these lockdown days, sewing has become as important as ever it was. Perhaps more so, in the light of armies of wonderful sewists providing much needed masks and PPE across the world.
And sewing has certainly been an important activity for a very long time writes Marie, who suggests that bone needles dating back 20,000 years have been discovered.
The benefits of hand sewing are detailed in the article – it’s quick and portable, but a good result often depends more on the ability of the sewer than the machine sewn option.
Sewing machines – “a pretty appealing option”
It’s sometimes actually more straightforward to get up and running with a sewing machine than it is to sew by hand. There’s actually less to learn and hand-eye co-ordination doesn’t need to be developed to such an extent argues Marie.
“Often, when it comes to sewing machines you just need to learn about how your individual machine works, how to set it up and you can get on with your work.”
Listed advantages include:-
- Sewing machines are very efficient
- They’re “ideal” for commercial projects
- They’re convenient
- They’re surprisingly easy to use
- And of course, they’re very accurate and fast.
There are also some useful tips on accessories and sewing threads in the article.
A beginner’s guide to sewing by hand & machine »
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