SewWitty

I am more of a decorative/craft sewer than a plain sewer (make your own clothes sewing), but I often think about the person who makes my clothes.

Here’s the blurb …

Tens of millions of people sew for necessity or pleasure every day, yet the craft is surprisingly under-appreciated. The Point of the Needle redresses the balance: this is a book that argues for sewing’s place in our lives. It celebrates not only sewing’s recent resurgence but sewists’ creativity, well-being, and community.

Barbara Burman chronicles new voices of people who sew today, by hand or machine, to explore what they sew, what motivates them, what they value, and why they mend things, revealing insights into sewing’s more intimate stories. In our age of superfast fashion with its environmental and social injustices, this eloquent book makes a passionate case for identity, diversity, resilience and memory of what people create for themselves as they stitch and make.

Barbara Burman has done two research projects talking to people about their sewing – One in the late 20th century and one this century. From these studies where hear real people talk about how they learnt to sew, what sewing has meant to them, and the change from sewing to save money to sewing to have a better fit or design.

There are chapters on

• Hands, Hearts and Needles
• Learning to Sew
• A Material World
• In the Gently Closed Box
• Fruits of our Work
• The Business of the Needle
• The Alternate Stitch
• Into the Fray

Textiles are fundamental to humans, so it is important to think about how the cloth is made, the thread, and the needles. Who does the sewing? What effect is textile manufacture having on the earth and the people in the industry? And I think she should question whether textiles are too cheap?

This T-Shirt from Kmart is $1.50. How is that possible? And it certainly doesn’t encourage people to take care of their clothes or to buy second hand when new is so cheap.

But there are other aspects to sewing as well. The mental health benefits of doing something with your hands, a sense of community and a link to past generations.

If you use a needle (sewing, embroidery, machine sewing, etc.), then I think you will find this book fascinating.

An interview with Barbara Burman