Sewing has a multitude of uses on the homestead. You can darn socks, fix zippers, repair rips in seems, hem up pants that are too long, patch a too worn pair of favorite dungarees, make something altogether new, or make a quilt out of worn out favorite pieces as we’ve discussed before.

While many of us learned to use a machine to sew when we were young, sitting at our mother’s sides or in home economics classes available in many school of the time, many in the younger generations did not receive this tutelage.

Fear not! The internet is still your friend in this, as in many other, endeavors. There are online classes, YouTube videos, and even downloadable books. 

If this doesn’t appeal to you, your local park and rec, community college, or arts and crafts cooperative may offer classes. This offers you an opportunity to learn side by side with other students and with a live instructor to help you along the way.

Another wonderful way to learn is to ask your local volunteer programs that work with the elderly and see if anyone would like a volunteer that wants to learn how to sew. You can spend time making someone’s life brighter while learning a wonderful skill at the same time. A total win-win!