With my sewing machine still down, I thought maybe I should reconsider the lost art of sewing by hand. Okay, so maybe it really isn’t a lost art, but it seems that with the ease and availability of sewing machines these days with their ever-increasing capabilities, the need to stitch something with your hands has tapered off.
A long time ago, in the days before we inherited my partner’s grandmother’s old 1963 Singer Touch & Sew DELUXE Zig-Zag Sewing Machine, I did my sewing by hand. I made baby quilts using the appliqué technique, Christmas stockings with exposed whip stitching, even a family tree quilt with lots of freehand embroidery work for my grandma (yeah, I’ve got mad embroidering skills.) I put my blood, sweat and tears into these projects… literally. I can’t think of a single hand sewed project I’ve done where I didn’t find a way to poke myself with the needle and draw a small drop of blood onto it. (Okay everyone who has received a quilt from me, let’s see if you can find the blood!)
There is something connective about sewing by hand that seems to be missing from most projects done with a machine. I can’t really put my finger on it, because there have been a few rare machine projects that I’ve done that I’ve had that same close connection to, but for the most part, I think it is the personal touch a hand sewed item has. The feel of a hand quilted blanket after laundering makes me appreciate each of those stitches even more, knowing how much time and care went into it. The beauty in the imperfections. The rustic charm it invokes.
Now don’t get me wrong, I love sewing machines, and they are great for when you need something to be sturdy and the stitching to be perfect. I’m just saying, maybe every once in a while, make a small project by hand. It can be quite therapeutic.
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