Your great-grandmother most likely made her clothing and her children’s clothing. The drapes became dresses. The old dresses became quilts. The old quilts became napkins. It was all thanks to the magic of the sewing machine. But not only that. They actually knew how to work a needle and thread.
It’s not just because they were poorer. It’s because they believed in actually doing things. It’s the same reason that you cook at home rather than eat out at restaurants for every meal. It’s the same reason that you aspire for your kids to play piano rather than just listen to recordings.
There is virtue in doing things. It’s also fun. There is special delight that comes with doing something with one’s own hands. Chances are that the quality is going to be much improved, too.
When I had a huge yard, I could never bring myself to hire out the mowing. This was because the people I would hire would never do as good a job as I would. Also, there is satisfaction in doing things independently. There is a sense of usefulness that comes with that.
I’m not here to inveigh against the division of labor or become a spokesman for the romanticism of the arts and crafts movement. That we can click our clothes to our doorstep rather than sew them does represent a kind of progress. I adore restaurants and streaming music as much as the next guy.
That said, outsourcing every possible task to a big corporation comes with certain costs. For one thing, you end up throwing out your clothing quickly because it falls apart. You have no great personal investment in it. There is nothing about the fabrics that is in any way generational, much less repurposed. Everything is buy, wear, and toss. And this creates a loss of rootedness in the real things of life.
By now, it should be clear that nostalgia is sweeping the culture. It’s all about the old styles, the old music, the old ways of courtship, the old fashions, the old interior design. Vinyl records are all the rage. Even local restaurants are bringing back candles and jettisoning the idiotic fake lights that supposedly look like candles.
It’s no surprise that sewing clubs are popping up all over the country. The New York Times has even declared that sewing is cool again. My own response: I don’t care if it is cool or not. It’s a great thing to bring back sewing because it is great to bring back anything that is about precision, making things oneself, and investing yourself in a product.
It’s deeply worrisome that we have several generations now that don’t seem to even know how to operate a basic needle and thread. Countless times, I’ve been at gatherings at which someone has an issue. I seem to be the only one who carries a sewing kit in my bag and knows how to use it. Or perhaps I’m the only one foolish enough to volunteer! In any case, I’m forever sewing on buttons, reattaching straps, fixing up holes, and so on. Mishaps in clothing are common. It’s utterly beyond me that people don’t know the basic tricks of using a needle and thread!
You can get a small sewing kit anywhere. It will do wonders for your clothing. I’m not sure how people manage otherwise. Surely they don’t take their shirts to the tailor to get a button put on, but maybe they do.
It’s often the case that suits will get stressed in areas. Maybe it is the top pocket on the left. Maybe it is a pants pocket. Maybe it is a suit button. These things don’t last forever. If you can use a needle and thread, you can sew them up in a jiffy. Again, it’s fun to give your clothing new life and not rely on the tailor all the time.
How did I learn to sew? My grandmother taught me. When I got into the clothing business, I learned more. I became good at hemming pants, doing sleeves, and even fixing waist lines.
This did not always benefit me. One Christmas, the owner gave me a hard rule: no alterations in less than two weeks. I had a customer that wanted seven suits, but on the condition that they all be altered the next day. I stayed late and did them all myself. The next day, the owner congratulated me for being the top salesman. But then he told me that I was fired for insubordination. He could not have employees, no matter how good they were, who defied his orders.
Yes, I was bitter. But he was correct. He could not have that. I needed to learn a lesson. So at my next store, I made a deal with the owner that I would do alterations in a pinch. He was happy and approved. It all worked out, leaving me with only the trauma of being fired. It’s all fine.
In any case, as the years went on, I developed a problem. I could no longer thread a needle. I had to go around and ask others to do it. One time, I had to walk up and down the street visiting various shops to find someone who could thread it for me.
It was then that I discovered one of the greatest inventions in human history. It is the tiny and delicate needle threader. It was a 19th-century invention made of a tiny piece of aluminum and steel. You stick the small part through the needle eye, which is easy, and that exposes a larger part into which you put the thread. Then you pull. It’s like magic! It works every time.
Discovering this was glorious because it meant that I was back in business. I wondered how many other would-be sewers decline to sew because they simply cannot thread the needle. I don’t know, and yes, I’m embarrassed that I did not know about this nice magic thing. Now I do, and it is fun to research and know about its creative history.
In terms of invention, nothing compares with the sewing machine. That was the kickoff to the modern age. It was invented in 1831 and improved through the following decades. By the end of the century, they were in every home and never really got better. Today—you guessed it—there is great nostalgia for these old machines. It helps that they last forever. Even converting the pedal-powered models to electric makes them function as they always did. I like visiting old tailor shops in New York City and seeing that they are using models that are 75 to 100 years old. Why? Because they still work well.
That said—and this is a personal bias—I do think that everyone needs to know how to sew manually. No machine, just you and your hands. This is where the precision work happens. You can sew up moth holes, reinforce buttons, fix a hole in a pocket, and otherwise give all your clothing a new life.
Is this a generation that will learn to sew? Maybe so. Maybe economics will necessitate this. Sewing brings happiness and satisfaction. It is also a beautifully peaceful activity that truly takes time but also teaches patience, persistence, and precision. Nor is it merely a gendered skill: Guys should learn as much as ladies. It’s an activity for everyone.
One last point. On eBay, you can find marvelous old tablecloths and napkins with embroidery on them. Even if you don’t know who did it, you can feel the presence of the person’s skill and love. It also creates an aspiration for all of us. Embroidery was once something for everyone but is now a skill that has been largely lost. Let’s bring that back, too!
