Stitching my Life

I have always been fond of the sound of sewing machine. It reminds me of the time when my mother was still active in sewing things as a commission. She also always sew our uniforms until I reached high school. She stopped because her hands are no longer what they used to be and her eyesight is not that great anymore. I miss the sound of sewing machine more as time went by.

I used to ask her to teach me how to sew but she always insists that I was still too young to use a machine. It was probably a reaction caused by the memory of my sister stitching her fingers and bleeding over the sewing machine because she thought it would be fun to play with. But she taught me how to make patterns, and let me help in sizing and everything related to sewing, but the sewing part.

I know how to hand sew as my mother believes that we must know how to fix our clothing. So during the home economic classes back in elementary, I always score the highest for the hand sew projects. Back then, I knew I enjoyed sewing.

However, my life turns to a different path and instead of nurturing my creative side, I gave it up to pursue academics. I also have the knack for getting things right when I want to but my heart just was not in it. Still, I continued this path if only so I would not feel like a failure.

When the pandemic happened, I did not know what to do with myself. I was restless because there is no requirement to be passed, no lecture to study, no class to attend to. There was only free time with nothing to do. After a few months of not doing anything. I finally bought myself a mini sewing machine.

This machine can only sew straight stitch but it was still enough to get me started. I was worried because I ordered it online so I was overthinking if maybe it will not work. But thankfully, the machine works perfectly and all issues I have encountered after was easily resolved with a quick search on Youtube.

With a mini sewing machine available to me, I was determined to make the most out of it. I will no longer have to hand sew a bedsheet and pillowcases set. I can get it done easily with a sewing machine. I did just that. In my time of having the sewing machine, I have sewed a set of a light satin bedsheet with 7 pillowcases. I have also sewed a lot of scrunchies, more than what I expected to make. I have also transformed a lot of round neck shirts to V-neck.

When I manage to get my hands on more fabrics, I want to make some skirts and shirts. But until then, I am satisfied with doing little projects here and there. My sister even bring up the idea of a scrunchies business. I would have to think more on it though.

The path I have taken is not a path that I expected. Moreover, I could not believe how right sewing felt. It was as if I could finally relax and let go of my worries. Maybe a daughter of a seamstress being a seamstress herself makes sense. And if I could sew things together, then I know that I can stitch my world back to the form that I wanted it to take.