Your grandmother likely didn’t have to even think about learning to sew, she simply acquired the skill naturally over her growing-up years, working on mending during the week and embroidery samplers or fancy work on Sundays after church. Unfortunately, in today’s fast-paced, technology-focused culture, you don’t have that luxury. Instead, one day you realise you’re all grown up (maybe you even have children of your own already) but you still have no clue where to start when it comes to sewing on a button or mending a split seam, let alone making something beautiful for yourself or a loved one!

Did you know that the process of mending and creating is so therapeutic that it can be as effective as therapy or medication to alleviate and manage stress, anxiety and depression? With poor mental health at an all-time high, repairing things and being creative is even more important in this modern age.

My Mum started teaching me to sew when I was just 4 years old, so I’ve grown up like your grandmother did. This makes sewing easy for me, which means I can teach you. I was also a homeschooling Mama for many years, teaching my 5 children these skills alongside their reading, writing, and arithmetic lessons as they grew up. (I have 4 daughters and then 1 son, and even my teenage son does his own mending!) I also sewed for others and taught many other children and grown women to sew along the way. This is why I know you can learn the simple skills needed to keep your family wardrobe in good repair, no matter how old you are or whether you’ve ever even picked up a needle and thread before. Money and time always seem to be in short supply these days, and learning to sew can save you so much on both fronts.

Don’t believe the fallacy that you need to have a lot of time or money to mend your clothes or create something beautiful though, you don’t even need a sewing machine. Just a few simple tools and supplies that won’t break the bank and will save you so much in the long run, and not only in clothing costs. After becoming a single Mama when my youngest was only 6 years old, I’ve been through some very challenging years financially, with frequent visits to local food banks and having to ask charities to pay utility bills, so I am an expert at sewing and being creative on a budget.

With regards to not having enough time, Life IS crazy busy these days, that’s just a fact, but you’d be amazed at how just 20 minutes a day (or even 5 if that’s all you can squeeze in!) can quickly add up over time, and before you know it you’ll not only have a wardrobe in good repair, you’ll even be completing beautiful little projects of your own from my simple, creative, beginner level patterns.

If you have teenage daughters, encourage them to learn with you, so they can be prepared for whatever their future holds. Sewing is a great hobby that can replace the vice of screen addiction (which is so prevalent today), with a practical and beautiful skill that can be used to bless others in the footsteps of St Tabitha.