I wrote this post more than once. I wasn’t even sure what I wanted to say, but at the end it turned into an argument for why you might want to sew your own clothes. I don’t really do resolutions but I do have monthly and annual goals and when I plan ahead I mostly get round to most of them. This year sewing more of my own wearables was one of them.

I wanted to do it for more than one reason. First I want to wear more dresses and I don’t always like what I find in stores. I thought that if I made what I liked I would wear them more often. The irony is that since the beginning of the year I have bought three different dresses that I love and wear often.

I also wanted to get better fit. Because I have narrow hips and a smaller bust, I can get away with many things, but if it is a fitted garment I always feel that I can’t fill it out properly. Third, I wanted to be more mindful of what I wear in terms of sustainability. Let’s face it, fast fashion is evil. But it is also very affordable and as much as I would love to shop from brands that offer fair wages for their workers and use the most environmentally friendly processes, I can’t afford it.

I try to offset it by buying items that I know will last for a long time, that are timeless in style and won’t be dated by next Tuesday. Sewing seems like a good balance. So my fabric might still not be the most sustainable but it is still something.

One of the other reasons I also wanted to sew more is time. Knitting a cardigan takes weeks but sewing a dress takes half a day, maybe a whole day if it is a very complicated one. For me that is a total win, because I can enjoy a finished item quickly. The process is faster once I already have the pattern printed, all the pages pieced together and cut out.

There is a specific type of joy that can only be created when you make something from scratch. And I am very addicted to it. The decision process is enjoyable. From having to match the right fabric to a pattern. Pick out any details like buttons or zippers and which modifications you need to make to a pattern. Do you shorten or lengthen? Do you add embroidery or some other details? It puts order in a world that is sometimes too chaotic and random and it does provide you with some semblance of control in life that creates calm. Or at least it does for me.

And then there is also the improvement in skill level and learning something new. Let’s just say it is good for your mental health. When doing anything there is a sweet spot, where it is easy enough that you can do it, but hard enough that you are forced and challenged to grow. That is where I am with my sewing right now. I can do more complicated things, but I am still learning and there is a lot of room for improvement. That exhilarates me. I get frustrated when I can’t get a seam straight or install a zipper properly but I am confident enough that I can figure it out.

Sewing also forces you to face politics. Fashion trends are dictated by the powers that be and they have decided on sizes, colors and even the functionality of the clothes that we wear. For example, pockets!

I fell in love with the Lodo Dress pattern ever since it came out. It is perfect for summer me. I picked a bright chartreuse textured crepe. That is the thing with sewing you are not bound to the confines of trends. It is a color that you rarely see on store shelves. Which makes sense when you realize that the people that influence trends are mostly pale white people who look terrible in that shade of green. I on the other hand, a Middle Eastern woman who loves the sun and probably spends too much time in it than is good for my skin, can actually wear it. Jasika Nicole’s wrote a post about it.

And then there is sizing. It is a can of worms. And you can’t win. With brands trying to make their customers happy with their use of vanity sizing, I am two sizes smaller in store-brought clothes compared to sewing pattern sizes. And that is just talking about contemporary ones. Vintage pattern sizing is even tinier.

So I made a dress. In a color and style that works for me. I still want to make more. Definitely with BIG pockets and more natural fabrics creating the least amount of waste I possibly can. But until then . . .

. . .  I leave you with my new favorite dress.