For some reason, for a lot of girls my age, sewing is considered sooo not cool. Nerdy

We love, love, love to sew! Sewing is an amazing skill that not only allows you to help people fix things here and there, but gives you the know-how to actually create something from scratch! The first time I made a skirt (a real one! Not a potato-sack-style skirt for a school play), it was the most amazing feeling in the world. You start with just some fabric and a pattern (a guide on paper that shows you the shape of what you’re making) and before you know it, you’re holding — and wearing— a skirt you created. It’s an amazing feeling.

Here’s a tough one. For some reason, for a lot of girls my age, sewing is considered sooo not cool. Nerdy. Cool girls dance and play instruments and maybe draw, but sewing? That’s for girls with no other talents, right? Nothing could be further from the truth. If you knew the feeling of working hard to create something from scratch and seeing it come alive, you’d understand that there’s depth and excitement in this hobby. It may not be “cool,” but cool isn’t going to get you very far. Sewing is a great skill that will actually benefit us down the line, so I’ll take the eye-rolling any day.

Sewing is not a talent that’s handed to you on a silver platter. If you can sing, it’s because Hashem just gave you that voice; same for drawing or dancing. Sewing takes skill, practice, hard work, and patience — all things that aren’t inborn. Yes, Hashem gave some of us more natural talent, but it’s not like you can just sit down and create a dress with your natural talent. You need to learn a lot and work hard for it!

We’re happy to help a friend out here and there with something small that she needs, but if you’re asking me to fix something that needs a professional, please expect to pay me, unless I tell you otherwise. It’s no different than your neighbor asking you to babysit. Sometimes you might do a favor, but if it’s often, you want her to pay you, right? Same here. Please don’t take advantage. Sometimes we’ll tell you to “just forget it,” but it’s proper to ask, “How much do I owe you?”

Dressmaking is not the same thing as sewing. Some of us are great at mending and alterations, but never learned how to make something from scratch. Still, even just doing alterations is a great skill and actually makes good money! Dressmaking is much different and quite complicated, because it takes a lot to get it to look, well, seamless, and professional. Nonprofessional “homemade” clothing is awkward, so lots of us just stick to alterations.

Thank you, Penina and Kayla for contributing!

(Originally featured in Teen Pages, Issue 902)