I have an actual confession to make. I HATE hand sewing! Even when I crochet, I would rather combine pieces by slip stitching them together with my hook than to hand sew them with the larger needle and yarn!
I know this will cause an uproar but bear with me for a minute. I have been thinking long and hard about why I dislike this process. First, I am always poking myself with the needle, as I fight it through layers of material, batting, etc. Then, to make things worse, the thread is always twisting and forming knots. Now, scientifically I understand why, but it still frustrates me, and it is the same reason why extension cords, holiday lights, necklaces, yarn, etc. always seem to magically get tangled even when we so carefully wind them up and tuck them away securely (and it’s not Woody and the gang coming to life like in Toy Story or Gremlins messing everything up).
In physics and chemistry, there is a Law of Thermodynamics that states the universe prefers disorder, as energetically it takes lower energy to be in disarray than to be orderly and organized. The principle can be mathematically calculated and is referred to as Entropy (s); the lower the Entropy the more disorganized and less energy required and the higher the value for Entropy, the more ordered and higher energy required. A great example of this is to think about construction; it takes a lot of time and energy to build a high rise building, but only a moment and a quick amount of energy to implode it to ash and rubble. Because it happens fast, we assume a higher amount of energy but that is not the case.
Another reason I don’t love hand sewing is that I don’t really know that many stitches, or more embarrassing, the name of various hand stitches. And what makes it even worse, is that when I am in a sewing class, most instructors assume that because we sew on a machine, we are hand sewers too and know all the terminology, and that is often not the case.
Sadly, there are just times when hand sewing is the better option for a more professional finish, so it is a necessary evil. As such, I am launching my first challenge! Let’s take a journey together and learn some tips and tricks of hand sewing, explore various hand sewing stitches and techniques and at the end, we will practice several of the stitches we learn to complete a free pattern project, a Key FOB Protector. And maybe by the time we finish the Hand Sewing SewAlong Challenge, we we love hand sewing! The Hand Sewing SewAlong Challenge will start Saturday, February 3rd with pre-information and a list of materials needed for the challenge starting Saturday, January 20th. You’ll also receive reminders of each week’s assignments and get access to the free pattern!
To sign up, go to: https://www.sew-sciology.com/our-crafts-and-challenges
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