Ties That Bind - Creating Happiness Through Sewing

In my family, sewing has been an integral part of daily life for generations. Hand sewing or "snipping and stitching", a skill that lasts a lifetime, is an essential part of the homestead lifestyle. You never know when you will need to mend a torn seam or sew on a button. Besides, frugality and necessity often dictate making or mending something rather than the expense of a trip to town to purchase it at the store.

My mother, a talented seamstress, mended and sewed to ensure our family was warm and properly clothed. I learned to snip and stitch at my Momma's knee, darning the holes in brother Johnny's socks. I hated it! I was only five years old. I wanted to play outside in the sunshine with my puppy. But no, every afternoon Mother would say, it's time for our sewing lesson. She believed when you are "snipping and stitching," you are doing something useful while relaxing your mind and resting your body.

Although I learned to sew as a child, I found no joy in sewing as a young woman. My mother succumbed to cancer when I was ten years old, and even thinking about sewing provoked painful memories that just made me cry. Instead, I pursued a career as an abstract artist and gained considerable success. Yet, I felt an emptiness. I was making money selling my paintings, but I was not happy. Today, I still paint, but I "love" to sew. Sewing is my passion. However, it took a major "mid-life crisis" to discover that passion: to find my joy.

As I approached my 40th birthday, I was an "emotion wreck": my relationships were in tatters, my father died suddenly. Tasked with sorting out his possessions, I discovered a cedar chest Dad crafted for my mother when they married. Opening the trunk, I found it stuffed with my father's silk ties and remanent of bolts of brightly colored fabrics. Tucked down in the corner of the chest was my mother's old sewing box. Sobbing, I clutched the sewing box to my chest, realizing that my mother had saved the ties and fabric to "snip and stitch" something beautiful.

Mom loved to make quilts from the scraps of her other sewing projects, commenting that quilts evoke feelings and memories about the event or person they commemorate. As an act of love, I was inspired to finish the project my Mother started.

That cathartic crying jag in the closet inspired the creation of my first and favorite quilt, which I titled "Ties That Bind." Now mind you, I am not the seamstress my mother was. The quilt, which is entirely hand-stitched is not perfect, but it is quite lovely.

I found the meditative, repetitive actions of "snipping and stitching" promote relaxation and a feeling of calmness. Crafting the quilt, a hands-on, learn-as-you-go adventure of creating something beautiful and useful, was a life-changing experience for me. I learned in times of chaos and crisis, sewing reduces anxiety and stress by encouraging mindfulness. Forced to concentrate on the task at hand enabled me to become immersed in the project and stop focusing on my trials and troubles. I learned to create my happiness.

"Snipping and stitching" I completed my prize-winning tie quilt in seven years. Yes, seven years of precise cutting, putting together the project, and sewing it to form.

Quick And Easy Sewing Projects

Whether you’re new to sewing or have been stitching for decades, read on to find some fun projects to try this on a rainy day.

Face Masks

During the cold and flu season, it is prudent to wear a protective cloth face covering in order to prevent spreading viruses and germs. Homemade clooth face masks can be laundered and used repeatedly. If you are sewing masks for several family members, choose different colors for every person so you can keep them sorted in the laundry. Homemade face masks are a quick and easy sewing project and a great way to use up scrap material from other projects. The United States Center for Disease Control provides complete easy-to-follow instructions.

Cloth Napkins

Paper towels and napkins are convenient, but also wasteful and made out of non-renewable resources. Instead, why not sew some reusable napkins that you can toss in the washer after they’ve been used? This tutorial from Crafting a Green World offers step-by-step sewing machine instructions.

Cloth Bowl Covers

Convenient, attractive,easy to make, and a lot more sustainable than plastic wrap, these fabric bowl covers will keep chips from getting stale or lettuce from getting wilty. Hearth and Vine offers a complete tutorial.

Laptop Case

A padded, stylish laptop case is the perfect gift for family and friends. Part of the fun of sewing is the search for the perfect fabric for the projects you have in mind, so enjoy your jaunts through fabric stores and quilting shops.

There are dozens of different styles and patterns for laptop cases available online. I found a stylish pattern from Bear Creek Quilting Company and am having fun crafting gifts for the grandchildren.

Cloth Market Bag

Reusable plastic bags are decent for grocery shopping, but a heavy-duty market tote that can support lots of weight is even better. These would make for a wonderful housewarming gift when filled with pantry staples and supplies to stock the new kitchen.

Aprons

From a simple cotton farm-style apron to a stylish cover when manning the BBQ, aprons are an easy item to sew that makes a great gift. Check out this DIY kitchen apron sewing project that can be made in under 10 minutes.

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