Following on from my recent obsession with Escape to the Chateau series which has revived my craft obsession to try out all sorts of different crafts in an effort to get off the screen, off the socials and actually DOING stuff with my hands, I asked my mother to teach me how to sew.

My mum is really handy with the sewing machine and all crafts to do with needle and thread but I never had the inclination to follow. Similarly, my father is an artist and yet I never had the inclination to learn how to draw, sketch and paint. Any of these endeavours that I do by myself are really from just watching my parents ‘do their thing’ and picking up by osmosis. It’s rare that I don’t visit either parents art or craft nook – my mum’s sewing space in the house and my dad’s studio out the back without getting some form of “lesson”. I’ve sat, watched and created a whole heap of things with them over the years. However, the inclination was never to learn these skills fully because well, I just didn’t want a parent to be teaching me. I wanted to learn in my own way. Besides, I know they’d pressure me because I wasn’t committed or motivated enough to stick with it in the long run.

However, things have changed. I’m *cough* 52 now and in hindsight, I should have learned some basic skills of sewing or darning at least because now, I’m seeing the opportunities to customise all sorts of clothes and make them unique pieces that suit my own body and style preferences.

Also, craft is getting REALLY expensive in that COVID has made people return to crafty endeavours so they’ve jacked up the prices of all art and craft supplies which is annoying for me. Basically, it means I have to go – yet again – cap in hand – to my parents to continually BORROW equipment.

Of course, I’m jesting. I can buy the materials however, the real pleasure is using what you have lying around. As many people have gone totally ballistic minimalising their households and Kondo-ing the life and heart out of their houses, it means that I have tonnes of usually free or very cheap materials and equipment to find.

As I’ve gotten off Facebook, it means that I can’t use Marketplace anymore to try and find bargains that people are trying to offload however, I have the next best thing. My parents. Their hoard over the years is pretty amazing so there’s pretty much nothing I can’t find stashed away – or if they don’t have it, one of the hundreds of Greek relatives around Melbourne would be able to get it for me pretty much instantly. They always know someone who knows someone.

Well anyway, I asked my mum that it’s high time I learned my way around a needle and thread. She got over her initial shock and she’s set up Saturday mornings 10:00-12:00 for my tuition where she’ll teach me the basics of hand sewing first and then move to the machine. She’s already figured out the trials I need to do to learn how to sew in a straight line.

Our first project will be doing some cushions for my kitchen chairs. At Spotlight, these things are bloody expensive at about $15-$20 a cushion. However, we looked through her “stash” and found some material with foaming and it’ll do. I’m game.

So today, in half hour, my first sewing lessons start. This is going to be quite amusing however, I am looking forward to having her skill passed down onto me.