Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Sarah and Mrs. Sew Sew.

Sarah

Sarah made it to school today and since I haven’t gotten any phone calls from the school, it seems like she may actually make it through the day. She still had a tough day yesterday but by bedtime, she had gotten some of her pizzazz back. This morning, she her lips and face were very pale again, but the color came back a little after she’d been up a while. She said she felt strong enough to try and make it through the day so off she went! (Leaving a forlorn Nurse Snowy behind.)

Here she is taking her temp yesterday. (Which is why she is sitting sort of funny, waiting to take the thermometer out from under her am.)

sarah sick food

Thanks for all your kind-n-happy wishes for her in the comments section; we’re blessed that you’re part of our Smithellaneous Family!


Mrs. Sew Sew

Mrs. Sew Sew? Yep, that would be me.

Because the longer I live the more I discover that my sewing skills are rather, um, sew sew.

To illustrate, here is my Facebook post from yesterday:

I just sewed a button on Steve's pajama's and another button on my pants and I am exhausted. Sewing is so not my gig. My limit is two buttons a year so I guess I'm done for 2011! (Just don't tell Steve.)

After I wrote that entry and read some of the responses, I got to thinking about the whole sewing/mending deal and wondering how many people even do that sort of stuff any more.

Would I be correct in thinking that women over fifty are more prone to mend things and even (wonder of wonders) sew stuff from scratch then the under fifty crowd?

And since my brain has been mulling over this for a few hours now, I thought I’d ask you all to jump in with your studied and inimitable opinions.

First of all, rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 concerning your level of sewing skill. A one means that you run screaming the other direction at the very thought of picking up a needle; a ten means that you are capable of sewing and/or mending just about anything.

You can even back up your number with an example or two which would be quite informative and entertaining for the rest of us.

And then (if you don’t mind), let us know what decade you’re in—30’s, 40’s, 50’s, etc. I have a sneaking suspicion that this particular skill may be disappearing a little more with each generation and it’s really sort of sad because mending something is a pretty cool thing to do if you actually know how to do it.

Which I don’t.

I can (sort of) sew on buttons and (sort of) hem a pair of pants. And that’s why I would rate my skills as sorta “sew sew.”

So I’ll go first and say that I’m about a 3 on the Sewing Scale. And I’m in my 40’s.

Your turn!

54 Had Something To Say (Just click here!):

Anonymous said...

I can (sort of) sew on a button and I can hem pants with tape. Does that count:)? If you consider yourself a 3, then I would say that I'm around a 1 and I'm in my 40's too.

Glad to hear Sarah was able to get back to school today!

Cindy in VA

Anonymous said...

I'm 42 and can sew just about anything as long as there is a pattern to follow and don't mind mending either!

Heidi in ND

Anonymous said...

My sewing skills are NEGATIVE 40!

Thanks for asking, though!

Jodi

Anonymous said...

My sewing skills are also in the negatives, however my 15 year old Meghan learned how to sew from both Girl Scouts and my aunt, who is in her 70's, so there is hope for the next generation! I too am in my 40's.

Colleen in NJ

Also sending prayers Sarah's way. Meghan was not feeling well last week, but she has bounced back well this week.

Anonymous said...

I'm in my 60's, though I say I'm just over 29. I can sew just about anything. When I get to retire, I plan to get back to do more of it.
Glad to hear Sarah is better.

Sally in Pa

Anonymous said...

I am 42 years old and I can only sew on a button!

Lillian in NC

Jan said...

In my 60s, my sewing skills used to be a 10, but I've enough arthritis in my hands that I've slipped down to about an 8...and my motivation to sew is in the cellar!

Jan Reuther

Anonymous said...

I am 35 and started sewing around 21. I love it! I will attempt just about anything. It doesn't always turn out the way I envisioned but it is fun. I definitely alter, mend, hem and make all sorts of things. I would say my sewing skills are about a 7!

Michelle in MD

becky m in buffalo,ny said...

well my talent to sew is different then my desire to sew...im 30 just turned it in jan....i can sew and im quite the perfectionist, all my stitches are really close to together and my knot really knotted. so this being true i really hate to sew cuase it takes forever. so i give myself a 8 on talent and a 1 on desire. my son is a boy scout and i used this stuff that sticks it on and then you throw it in the dryer to make it hold, my other son has a pillow pet and the seam came undone so i took it to the laundromat mat and paid 7 bucks for them to fit it,lol.

becky m in buffalo,ny said...

ok for my son with boy scouts i was referring to all the badges his uniform needed.

Anonymous said...

I'm a 10 in the sewing department. I'm 44.

I've sewn just about everything (up to and including prom dresses). I made my entire maternity wardrobe when I was 23 - and then I made my daughter's dresses for years, until she was in school and I was working full-time.

I can mend, although I despise doing so.

I canNOT alter clothing. That's an art that I don't possess.

Stefanie in St. Louis

Jen said...

I am a 1. I have never sewn a thing. And I blame my mother- she loathed sewing.

I am so happy to hear Sarah is better. I have a few months left in my 30's. :)

SuziQCat said...

I can sew on a button, but I take my pants to the tailors to be hemmed. I can do a button stitch around an applique pattern on my quilts, but can not sew the squares together or actually quilt the thing...I send it off (or have mom do it) I would rate my skills a 2. I am in my 30's.

Anonymous said...

Don't like sewing, but can hem or sew on a button if absolutely forced to do so. Crazy thing is I LOVE to do x-stitch, which I guess is kind of like sewing. I guess a 2 for the 'sewing', but an 8 for the x-stitch :) I'm in my 50s

Also glad that Sarah is 'on the mend' :)

Vicky Elder said...

I started sewing at about 10. My grandma taught me. I once watched her take a piece of material and in a couple hours turned it into a beautiful nightgown - no pattern!
I am in my 50s and can sew about anything. Made the flower girl dress for my daughters wedding! But as for my daughter - who is 26 - pretty sure she can't sew a button on.

Anonymous said...

I am in my 40's and I am a "2". I can do the buttons and maybe a temporary hemming job and minor stitch repair. Jill-FL

Anonymous said...

I would rate my sewing skills at about a 7 or so. I have made clothes for myself (years ago) and I loved sewing for my niece when she was a little girl. I am usually able to follow a pattern, so I was always willing to attempt sewing anything. I can and have mended, hemmed, sewed on buttons, etc. I have worked on everything from horse blankets to velvets. I have also hand pieced and hand quilted. BUT, I don't sew (other than mending, mostly for friends) much anymore. I do love to x-stitch. I am 61 years old.

MaryH said...

I would rate my skill at about a 6 - I can sew a garment from scratch but haven't for years - I used to make all my girls Halloween costumes and they picked some difficult ones - but in the end - it was fun to do - I have just taught my 27 year old daughter to sew a button. However, my older daughter can sew many things from scratch - self taught because I didn't do it - I feel it is a lost art (mending) and really kind of a shame - we are a "throw away" society with no time to mend only to shop for a replacement. I am knocking very quickly on the 60's decade.

So glad Sarah felt like going to school - hope she continues to feel better but she will still need Snowy and much rest when she returns home today.

Anonymous said...

I guess I'm somewhere's around a 5 and self-taught at that. I have had to hem every pair of slacks I've owned as I'm only 5'. I went through a crafty period some years back and made bunnies and reindeer and elves and such with their clothes, via a pattern. I gave up on clothes for me - making them, not wearing them - a long time ago. Nothing seemed to turn out as I had envisioned. I'm not crazy about mending but I'll do it as needed. I'm thinking about making totes again, but I've gotten quite lazy, so who knows whether I'll actually make them.
I'm 61.

Jan (from Toledo)

Shannon said...

My Dear Grandma tried and tried to teach me her sewing skills...bless her heart. I just didn't catch on. I can sew buttons, heads back on stuff animals, I can sorta hem, but really like that iron on stuff. I'm in my 30's.

Kristina in Alaska said...

I can sew on buttons, can hem pants (I, too, am short, so this skill is a necessity!!). I actually own a sewing machine, although it doesn't get used often, and have made a skirt and started a quilt... I guess i'd give myself a 4. I'm in my 20s.

Patty Gray said...

I am probably a 3 like you. I sew buttons and Occasionally hem something but that is about it. I am in my 60's.

Anonymous said...

I think I'd rate myself around 8 to 9. I've made everything from quilts to clothing to a play tent. I do like to sew but have not done much of it lately. I can mend, but don't tell my husband! Usually I lose the button before I can get it back on. In my 50's but I feel 20 :) Hope Sarah feels better soon. Glad Snowy is doing well! Pam T

Anonymous said...

I guess I'm around a 5? I can sew on buttons and can hem. I also take old clothes and cut and sew them into other things. I have made my little girl some dresses and leggings as well as myself some tops and leggings. I am in my 30s.

I'm glad Sarah is feeling better and hope that she's 100% soon.

sharon holweger said...

I am a 10. I think I could take on almost anything (probably not a mans suit or a wedding dress tho) I have made curtians quilts sewn on othe machine for the boys room, and all sorts of clothes for family. also crochet if that counts.
I used to mend things when I had 4 lil kids at home now that its just me I dont really need to. 0h ya I am 71.
Glad Sarah is feeling better....

sharon holweger said...

forgot to say my daughter can sew some, and my grand daughter who is 23 has a sewingi machine and is learning

Nancy(bratt) said...

I'm 38, and I cant sew a stitch. My Grandmother tried to teach me when I would stay weekends with her. I never caught on and my thumbs were numb from poking them so much. I cant do anything of that sort and admire those who can!!
*hugs*

Beverly said...

I'm a 9. I used to sew elaborate Halloween costumes for my little boys...and beautiful Easter dresses for my little girl...until they all told me to stop!

Funny thing is I can't mend things...maybe I just don't like to!

Anonymous said...

I can sew on buttons, and loosely mend something like longjohns. But I wouldn't dare wear what I've mended out in public! :-)
I'm 41. :-)

Anonymous said...

I can sew on buttons, hem pretty well (though I don't like hemming) and can ever sew straight seams on my sewing machine. But if I have to change the thread and bobbin, I break out into a cold sweat! So wouldn't you know that God would give me a husband who says things like, "Could you just take a dart in this?" Where in the WORLD did he learn the term "dart?" And why does he ask me to do that to his industrial weight flannel shirts? Oh, well, I think I'll keep him anyway.
So I'd rate myself about a 2.5 and I'm in my (early!) fifties.

Sheri Hawley said...

What does one put if one knows how to sew but has grown so completely out of any interest that one now relates to the running away scenario? Maybe I'm a 3 in my 50's. Yep, a 3. Glad Sarah is feeling better!!

lesley said...

I am 51 and I score myself a big fat zero in sewing. I don't like it. The ONLY reason I wish I could sew is to make a patchwork quilt or two from Sarah's old clothes. and that is it :)

Oh, give me a zero for cooking too!

Liz said...

I am in my early 20's and would rate my self as a 6. I can sew things, hem to some extent (have actually hemmed things to wear in public)and can mend most thigns I've tried.
My cousin, who is my age, can sew, mend and hem anything. for the last 4 years she has made 70% of everything she wears (shirts, dresses, tights, pants, shorts etc). I would rate her as a 10

Melissa said...

I'm 46 and I'd say I'm maybe a 1 or a 2. I can sew buttons on, and I can sew a very amateurish and un-perfect cover for a small pillow, and that's about it. I can cross-stitch quite well, but that's different than actual sewing, which I'm not so great at!

Anonymous said...

I suppose I'm probably the youngest sewer here, I'm only 17! I guess I'd say my sewing skills are about a 5 or a 6. I taught myself to sew at age 9 when my mom got a sewing machine that she never used. I used to make skirts for my dolls and now on on occasion I make skirts for myself. I'm great at pillows because they're just squares! A couple of times I've done bigger projects such as making the sheets and bumpers for my little cousin's crib when she was born (I was ten) and I made a stuffed bear once. My goal is to make a dress that I can actually wear but so far every dress I've tried (without a pattern, because I'm kind of a no-pattern, free-spirited person :) ) hasn't worked out. Hopefully this summer I'll finally be able to make one!

Caroline from CT
(Probably your youngest reader :) )

Anonymous said...

I'm in my late 40s and took home-ec all 4 years of high school. But sewing from a pattern has become cost prohibitive so now I just hem and repair. Oh and I do make little doggie diapers for my "little nephew" who isn't very bright. LOL

Hugs,
Connie F-G

Anonymous said...

I'm in my 40's and can mend lots of things. At one time I learned to make shorts for my kids, but have no idea what to do with a pattern anymore. I'd say I'm about probably a 6 and my husband is even higher. He learned from his mom. My mother did not even own a needle and thread! My daughter (20's) does lots of creative sewing sorts of things, but doesn't have a sewing machine. It's definitely NOT my favorite thing to do!

Gayle in AL

ps. Glad Sarah is feeling better!

Marysienka said...

ahem... I can sew skin and tendons and stuff like that, (sorry if that grosses you out!) in 5 different patterns. However... when it comes to buttons and fabrics, I can't!
I'm 24.


P.S. I hope Sarah feels better soon. There are some nasty viruses going around these days! Sending lots of healing vibes her way!

Anonymous said...

I guess I would be a 10; I have been sewing for years! I used to make all my daughters' dresses. I have even sewn for my sons; overalls, t-shirts; etc. I have sewn for other people many times. Now I have a brand new granddaughter to sew for! Oh, I am in my early 50's.

Anonymous said...

I can sew buttons, mend a torn hem, and hem pants on the sewing machine. I have to credit my husband, who taught me to do these things. When I was single, I took my mending or hemming to the seamstress that worked at the local dry cleaners. My husband, on the other hand, took care of his own mending when he was single. He learned from his mother! (I am a 3 and in my mid-40s).

Debbie H. in Sacramento, CA

Anonymous said...

I am in my 50's and I am a 10. My Mom taught me to sew as a child - I made the first dress that I could wear to school at age 10. Now my passion is heirloom sewing. I have been working on a grandmother's hope chest for about 5 years and am looking forward to my first grandchild this summer. I work full time and sew for a hobby. It is an expensive hobby so I started working at a heirloom sewing shop one Saturday a month to get an employee discount. We have quite a diverse age of customers. I think sewing is picking up in popularity with young moms.

Karen - Alabama

Darla Hall said...

So Glad Sarah is feeling better.
I'm 47 and would give myself a 9.
I can make anything pattern or not.
I own and run an embroidery business. The 9 instead of 10, is because I rarely mend anything, but my 50 year old husband and 8 year old daughter both sew buttons back on. I think the reason people don't make clothes from scratch so much is because it's cheaper to buy them premade. The cost of fabric and notions is outrageous. I only make special occasion dresses, and costumes.

Ann said...

I'm like you, Becky. I can sorta hem, but it's not pretty. And I can do a button when absolutely necessary. So, 3 for me.

I took several sewing projects in 4-H because "all girls are supposed to learn how to sew" said the advisor and my mom. After my 3rd project, my mom told me NO MORE. She couldn't take my un-sewing-talent. I tended to do better with cooking and refinishing furniture.

So glad Sarah is better. Was worried right along with you.
Ann in KY

Margie said...

I am 63 & would rather throw something away instead of repairing it- if only I could!!
Glad Sarah is able to go to school today.

Lyndsay said...

I'm glad Sarah is feeling a bit better.

With regards to sewing, I'm a 1. Coincidentally, I just blgged about my attempt to sew:
http://findingjoyinthelittlethings.blogspot.com/2011/02/bed-sheet-skirt.html

Anonymous said...

I live in a major city, and many creative women in their teens, 20s, 30s and on-up love to sew. Trendy sewing classes sell out quickly.

Mending, not so much!

Anonymous said...

I live in a major city, and many creative women in their teens, 20s, 30s and on-up love to sew. Trendy sewing classes sell out quickly.

Mending, not so much!

whiterecluse said...

I'm 29, and I'd say my skills are about a 4.

I love to sew, I just haven't made a lot of complex things from scratch. I am a dab hand at buttons, however, I can mend most things (though they don't always look perfect), and I have made a handful of simple things from patterns. I also am fairly good at embroidery.

My mom, who is in her 60s, can't do much more than sew on a button!

Anonymous said...

I'd say I'm a 2? I can sew on a button but seldom do. For one thing, can't find a needle or a piece of thread in my house. Looked one day a couple weeks ago. My gym pants had a hole in the seam up the back (about 3 inches down from waist band)...needed them for my first workout at LA Fitness...could NOT find a needle or thread, so I took a safety pin, went on the inside and pinned them! Then told myself to make sure my t-shirt stayed DOWN...obviously, that didn't happen, as I was doing SQUATS and LUNGES...and of course I totally forgot about the hole until I got home and took my clothes off...the pin (SHINY)had slipped out and was totally showing. Hoping the trainer had a good laugh.. :) (not really)..
Anyway, I'm in my 50's. My daughter loves to sew. Taught herself in middle school. Was making jammie pants from old sheets. I told her we should go buy patterns and she said, "there are patterns??" As it turned out she didn't care much for patterns either. Now she has two little boys and doesn't have much time for sewing. She did NOT get the talent from her mom! :)
Happy to hear Sarah is feeling better!
Buff - Carmel, IN

Anonymous said...

I can mend and hem and sew simple handsewn things like a bean bag...so I might be a 4.

I'm 46 years old.

Cindy in Tennessee

Ericka said...

I'm 29. My mother can sew or mend anything. She is BRILLIANT at sewing. Sadly I only inherited some of her skills. I'm probably a 5.

Karen C said...

OK, almost 49, and I can't sew, but can put on a button -- guess I could hem something if someone sat on me and made me do it. :-) I even used to do some beautiful cross-stitch B.C.("before children"), but when I took a sewing class, I was pretty much lost -- just couldn't visualize what the pattern was trying to tell me to do. Unfortunately, I didn't inherit the sewing "gene" from my mom, who was a wonderful seamstress. At times I think about trying to take a another class to see if age made me any wiser in that department!

Anonymous said...

Can't wait to read the responses here, I am working long hours now and am behind a little:) First I was born late 50's. I am capable of sewing anything...although I don't like to hem or put on buttons. I would rather make something new:) I went many yrs without sewing much and decided after visiting Amish country this summer to make a quilt for an expected niece. They turned out beautifully (crib size, recieving blanket and several burp rags). After that I decided to make lap quilts for Christmas gifts and they were very loved. I am now purchasing material to make a bedspread for our bed and can't wait to start it:)
Kathy

Anonymous said...

I’d say I’m probably about a 5. I live in dormitories at my university, and I am the designated mender in my building. I can follow a pattern, and once in a while sew gifts for people, but honestly, I haven’t actually made any clothes for myself in at least 6 years. I’m 18 now. Only one of my good friends can sew, so I’d definitely say it’s a dying art/skill/whatever you so desire to call it.

-Robin-