Sew what?

There are a lot of things that I don’t know or understand.  Some of these things I just thought I would “get” as I got older.   Cricket (the rules, the whole point of it),  gardening (can’t you just stick it in the ground and watch it grow? Do you HAVE to water it all the time? And what do you mean you have to re-plant?!), cooking without a recipe (can’t do it but then I never claimed to be a Masterchef), and sewing.

In Grade Eight Home Economics we had to sew a pair of shorts, and a library bag.  I got a fail for both of them.  Both.  When I told my Home Ec teacher I didn’t choose Home Ec for the following year, she said “that’s probably a good thing”.  Ouch!  Bitch.

I don’t sew.  I can’t sew and I don’t know if I ever will sew.  My Mother sewed.  She made me lots of cute outfits as a child, and as I went through school, she would make my costumes for school plays and the like.  She could also knit which is something else I don’t know how to do.  I once made a macramé keyring.  Does that count for something?

As I grew older, I only needed sewing skills when my hems would fall.  My ‘sewing’ consisted of a stapler.  No needle and thread required!  And this has happily been my way of fixing all things in the clothing department.  If it gets too hard, I send it off to the local thrift shop.

But now I have a child in school.  And that involves uniforms.  And she, you know, grows!  So the hems on her uniform are quickly getting higher and higher. Not even considering to attempt it myself, I took it to our local dry-cleaning service which also provides alterations.  I asked for a quote, and she quoted me $30.  Thirty dollars!  To HEM a kids uniform?  I marched straight across the road to Woolworths and bought a needle and thread.  And tonight I will attempt to hem for the first time.  I guess I should have bought a quick unpick (that’s what it’s called, isn’t it?), as I foresee a lot of effing and blinding in my future.

Who knows - this might ignite a hidden talent within!  And perhaps I will become one of those parents that can 'run up' (that's the right term isn't it?) a costume in the blink of an eye.  Instead of being one of those parents rummaging through the dress-up box wondering how I can come up with something to match the specific criteria.  Sigh.  Never mind - I imagine my latent creative skills will be put to the test many, many times in the future.

And sew what?  Bring it - I'm ready.