Written by Charlotte Penhall
Are you looking for a new hobby to occupy your mid-year break or help with stress management?
Consider sewing!
Despite sometimes being complex, I’ve found over the years that it’s a rewarding hobby that can bring a sense of control. It could do the same for you.
I’ve been around sewing all my life. Both my Nan and Grandma have been sewing almost all of their lives.
This is where my love for sewing first started and once I reached year 8 in high school, my love grew even more with the help of my Textiles teacher, Miss Mead.
I continued textiles all through high school and had to do a major project as a part of my HSC.
Let me tell you, there were a lot of late nights spent sewing!
Over mid-session break I continued sewing my 21st birthday quilt that my Grandma had started before she passed.
Sewing isn’t always as smooth as people make it out to be. The fabric might not line up, you might run out of thread, or the needle in your sewing machine could break because it hit a pin.
This being said, sewing is for everyone, no matter the level. If you’re a beginner, you won’t want to jump into a complicated project. You could start with a pillowcase—that’s what I did.
Once you gain confidence, you can move on to more complicated projects. These could include making clothing, non-apparel items like drawstring bags, or quilting.
The sewing community is great too. Whether you watch YouTube videos to help you or ask a question in a Facebook group, people are there to support one another.
I’ve always loved doing things that made me think and use my hands to get something done. This is another reason why I loved textiles in high school.
It helps me feel in control of what’s in front of me and alleviate stress. This has definitely continued through university.
While I didn’t have a lot of projects in my first year besides fixing a couple of holes in pants for my dorm mates, the end of my second year changed that.
I gave myself a timeframe on when I wanted to complete the quilt, the 8th of May (my 21st), and got to work.
Sewing the strips of fabric together was soothing at times. It was then satisfying to add borders, actually quilting my quilt, and bind the raw edges of the quilt.
It was also grounding at times as well.
Now if you have a lot going on in your life, sewing isn’t going to fix your problems. The university has services in place for you if you need them.
Sewing is just a good thing to do before everything gets too much. Please share your photos if you decide to pick up sewing after this!
I would love to see them!
