While the art of sewing used to be a required skill for women, it is no longer a necessity. Though people do not have to create their own clothing anymore, taking sewing classes is still an incredibly beneficial pastime. Teaching it to kids, in fact, offers a number of advantages.

Sewing is not an instant-gratification activity. You must have patience to transform a piece of fabric into an end goal project. This requires dedication and hard work. All of these attributes are incredibly important for youth to learn. Not only will this translate into their academics, but they are skills that will be carried into their career and relationships as well.

Some hobbies, such as sports, can only be enjoyed for a period of time. Sewing, on the other hand, is a skill that lasts a lifetime. Not only is it timeless, but it actually improves with age. When a hobby is started from a young age, it is more likely to provide comfort and joy through adulthood. This is something that can be beneficial to their future family, provide years of joy, and then be passed down to their children.

Benefits of Learning How to Sew

• Being able to mend clothes mean saving money!
• You can salvage your favorite piece of clothing when it needs repairs, or you can restyle that piece, if needed.
• Being able to mend or alter clothing can mean upgrading your look by incorporating more expensive looking buttons or making your clothing fit your figure and style better.
• Being able to sew means you can buy clothing that is almost right and rework it to fit better and look more expensive.
• When you can sew a piece of clothing from fabric, it gives you freedom – you can choose the colors to use. You can also choose how drapey or sturdy the fabric is. You can decide whether you want your skirt to be a pencil skirt or an A-line style. You can choose long sleeves or short fluttery sleeves. Basically, you will eventually be able to design your own clothing.
• Learning to sew will give you something to be proud of.
• Learning to sew will also improve your ability to work through a process and deliver a product
• Probably, though, the best reason to learn to sew is that it will increase your ability to draw on the creativity that lies within you.

If you would like to learn more about sewing, contact your local extension office.

Lori Wiggins, UF/IFAS Extension Agent III

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