Learning something new is not always easy, especially when the thing you are learning looks simple from afar but becomes very hard when you try it with your own hands. During the COVID-19 lockdown, I had one of such experiences. This was when everyone had to stay indoors no work, no school, no church, nothing everywhere was just boring and quiet period for many people. This was when I had the chance to learn sewing, and this experience opened my eyes to see that tailoring, especially for women’s clothes, is not as easy as I thought.
I had a neighbour who was a fashion designer. His shop was very close to our house. But when the lockdown was announced, he could no longer open his shop. So, he moved some of his machines home and continued his sewing from his apartment. We were very close friends, so sometimes I would go to his place to see him sew. One day, he looked at me and said, “Why are you sitting here watching? Come and learn something. This is the best time.” He was right. I had nothing serious to do during that lockdown.
At first, I was very attentive. I watched him as he pressed the sewing machine, cut the fabrics, measured the materials, folded and pinned everything together. I started by peddling the machine with my foot. It was fun in the beginning. The noise of the machine, the movement of the needle, the arrangement of the fabrics all of it was interesting to me. I was enjoying myself. My neighbour specialized in making female dresses, but he was also good with male clothes, though not as perfect as with the women’s own. He began to teach me the female styles, because that was where the money was.
For some days, I tried to keep up. I learned how to peddle very well. I learned how to iron seams, fold hems, and even cut simple patterns. But very soon, my strength began to fade away. I could not cope again. I became tired, discouraged, and weak. Cutting women’s fabrics is not easy at all. The measurement alone can give someone a headache. You have to measure the bust, waist, hip, length, shoulder, sleeve, neck and many other parts. If you miss one inch, the whole dress is useless. The folding is another thing. The fabric must be folded properly to get the right shape and balance. Even the cutting is very hard because one small mistake can spoil the entire cloth.
Kudos to all the fashion designers out there, especially those who make female clothes. I salute you guys because the work is not easy at all. Before I started learning the basis I thought tailoring is just about sitting in front of a machine and sewing straight lines, but I was wrong, there is a lot of calculation, thinking, arranging and careful planning involved. The fabric itself can misbehave sometimes. It can slip, bend or shrink. You have to be smart and patient. I lost my patience along the line.
For me, sewing men’s clothes is easier. I can cut a simple men’s fabric. I can also adjust my own clothes. If my trouser is too long, I can reduce it. If my shirt is too big, I can adjust it. That one is not a problem. But when it comes to female dresses, count me out. It is a no go area for me, It was too difficult for me to learn
Now I feel like going to fashion school to learn more about female styles, the way I'm seeing fashion now is in another form, sewing is now one of the most lucrative skills in the world today. Everyone want to wear beautiful and stylish dresses, and the fashion business is growing very fast. If I had continued during the lockdown, maybe by now I would be a professional designer.
Learning something new is always hard in the beginning but those who continue and never give up are the ones who finally succeed. I blamed myself for giving up too soon, I wish I had more patience, I wish I had pushed myself harder. This taught me that no skill is easy until you master it. Tailoring looks easy when you watch from outside but when you try it, you will see how difficult it really is. Soon I will return to fashion school and finish what I started.
This is my response to today's episode of hivelearners community prompt of #hl-w170e01 which the topic is tagged DIFFICULT TO GRASP