Do you have a closet full of clothing that you never wear? Do you surround yourself in things that don't really mean anything to you? Are you spending a ton of money trying to keep up with the latest trends? Do you know who's making your stuff and where it's going when you're done with it? Do you feel like most of the clothing you buy mostly fits, but not quite? Have you ever tried on something that felt divine but you couldn't afford it?

Yup. That's why. When you make something, not only are you getting to pick the style, materials, color, and fit - but the pride that comes along with wearing a handmade piece of clothing or using a handmade item makes you hold on to it longer, appreciate it, and create less waste.

And yes, you can add pockets to anything.

Sewing is one of those old fashioned skills that we equate to a time when everything was a bit slower. Kids, and adults these days, don't have a lot of patience. We're always in a hurry to see results, get our very short good feeling fix, then move on to the next thing that grabs our attention (thank you, internet) Sewing is all about grounding us back to the reality that a real person made all of the best things in our lives, and that that process took time. Sometimes, waiting and patience is necessary to create the things we want, and if we are patient and put care into what we do, the feel good feeling lasts way longer. Once your child realizes that they can't sew before threading the needle, can't cut fabric before marking it, can't make shortcuts while stitching two pieces of fabric together and so on, they'll slowly but surely start learn how to be more patient.

Once a child creates something tangible, all by themselves, through a patient process-oh the sense of accomplishment! Confidence is one of the main benefits of sewing. Your child will make mistakes along the way and learn that they aren't a huge deal, learn how to easily fix them, and move on. When finished, they will have a custom item that they created on their own, and will be reminded of that every time they use it. Sewing is a skill your child can take into the world with them, they will notice everything around them that has been sewn at some point in time, and daydream about the unlimited projects and ideas they can create themselves. I know this, because I was that child.

No, I promise, it's really really not. Sewing is a hobby you can take at any pace - do you really like sewing zipper pouches? Well, that's all you ever have to do. Odds are, you'll start wanting to experiment and learn new little techniques, and before you know it, you'll move up to bigger bags with pockets, and then one day you'll try making a shirt out of curiosity and BAM. You now sew your own clothes. Like any craft, it takes practice. HOWEVER, you can choose how you practice.

1. You obviously haven't checked out sewing patterns, especially indie pattern designers. They keep up with or are ahead of current trends.

2. Next time you buy something from Target, or anywhere you buy your stuff, really take a look at it. It's SOOOO imperfect. Obviously no one is noticing those details, and you now have the power to make something better than store bought (and it's not that hard to do...)

I am someone who notoriously has a track record of trying every single craft out there and losing interest at some point. I. Feel. You. But sewing in particular has always stuck with me - I think it's the variety of projects you can sew that keeps me hooked. Once you learn the basics of sewing you can take that to any type of project - garments, home decor, costumes, kids toys, accessories, and anything else you can dream up. I want to help you find what sticks with you.

That’s ok! You can use mine! Or, you can borrow one and take it home for free from my sewing machine library!