The pandemic has proven to be a very difficult time for most of us. Many people are out of work or forced to work from home. Gyms, cinemas, churches, nightclubs, etc. have been closed temporarily, and some might never reopen!
Throughout 2020, experts advised us to stay at home to help reduce the spread of the deadly virus, and unfortunately, 2021 doesn’t seem to be any different. There is light at the end of the tunnel, with news that people around the world are getting vaccinated, however, it seems like it will take a long time before things go back to normal.
Most of us are guilty of spending far too many hours in front of televisions or on social media due to the amount of free time on our hands during the pandemic. However, it is highly unlikely you will get this much time to yourself in the future. Using the pandemic to practice a new skill is an ideal way to kill a few hours.
Who Can Learn And How Can I Learn How To Sew?
It’s 2021! It doesn’t matter how old you are or whether you’re a male or a female, sewing is a skill that everyone will find beneficial.
Lots of people shy away from sewing, but when they eventually learn the skill, they can’t understand why they haven’t given it a go in the past.
During the pandemic, asking a grandparent to teach you how to sew is not possible as they are in the high-risk category because of their age. However, it’s easy to learn how to sew nowadays with the internet never too far away. There are lots of online tutorials on YouTube, lots of websites packed with content helping you learn, and countless amounts of sewing communities online whose members are all willing to share their knowledge with you. You can easily buy sewing equipment online so you don’t have to leave your home.
Learning to Sew will help you do your part during the Pandemic
Doctors, nurses, and other frontline workers have put their lives and their family’s lives at risk to help us during the pandemic. It is difficult to show our appreciation, however, learning to sew might be the perfect way to say “thank you”.
Many areas have experienced shortages of face masks. Frontline workers are forced to use the same masks again and again, and often have to pay for this PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) gear with their own cash.
The best way to show your appreciation is to give back, and sewing face masks for frontline workers will not only show your gratitude, but it will help keep them safe from contracting the virus.
How to Sew a Face Mask
It takes around 20 minutes to create a face mask from scratch. If it’s your first time trying, take your time to help avoid making mistakes.
To get started you will need the following:
- Rotary cutter or sewing scissors
- Pins
- Sewing Machine
- Rubber bands or elastic strips
- 100% cotton fabric. Make sure that the fabric you use is tightly woven.
Grab your scissors and cut both the rubber bands and the fabric. First, cut the fabric into two rectangles. It is hard to judge the size of someone’s face, especially if they are for frontline workers you have never met before, so just separate masks for males and females. For a women’s mask, cut 2 rectangles into 8”x6” and for men’s cut 2 rectangles into 10”x6”. The rubber bands or elastic strips need to be 7” long. You can use different designs to give your design a touch of style. There are plenty of labels for sewing that you can use to help distinguish the difference between sizes. You don’t want people trying on your masks, later to find out that they don’t fit because another person won’t be able to use it, so labels are key.
One of America’s leading physicians Dr. Fauci has recently told the media that he recommends people double up on masks to help prevent the spread of the new variants of Covid-19. With this information, it shows that there has never been a better time to put your sewing skills to good use.
Teaching Sewing to Kids during the Pandemic
The pandemic has not been ideal for any of us, especially minors. Instead of going out playing with their friends and enjoying life they have been forced to stay inside. Rather than turning on YouTube, why not teach them how to learn how to sew. If you are learning, invite them to study with you so you can work as a team.
Here are some of the reasons why learning how to sew is beneficial for a child:
- Helps a child’s confidence: Expect your child to find it hard to get the hang of sewing at the start, however, if they stick with it, they will be able to develop the skill. When a sewing task is complete, they will realize they have either created something or that they have fixed something. This is a great lesson for a child as it teaches them to believe in themselves, which is a vital part of learning how to succeed as they get older.
- Encourages Fine Motor Skills: Learning to sew is a great way to encourage a child’s fine motor skills. Unfortunately, kids who tend to play with tablets and phones for many hours throughout the day, struggle to develop their muscles needed to do simple tasks like holding a pen. Sewing requires children to use their eyes and fingers.
- Sewing taps into a child’s imagination: Kids love drawing, making sandcastles, and making up their own games. One of the best things about being a child is being creative. Sewing is a perfect opportunity for them to make something from scratch. If the kids want to go the extra mile and create their own clothing labels for their creations, click here to find out more.
There are sewing machines available for children with extra safety features in comparison to traditional sewing machines. During the pandemic, finances for many households are tight. To help save money, there are plenty of refurbished sewing machines available online. Second-hand stores regularly have old sewing machines available too.
Conclusion
Pandemics don’t last forever, so learning a new skill like sewing has plenty of benefits during and after the pandemic.
Even with the vaccine, experts claim that we will still need to wear masks for the foreseeable future, so there is no time like the present to get your sewing machine and fabrics out and get to work on making masks.
Teaching your children or grandchildren how to sew can be a great opportunity to educate them about kids who are less fortunate than themselves. That there are children their own age that are forced to work in sweatshops in third world countries for little to no pay, in horrific conditions, day in day out. They might even think twice the next time they complain about not being able to play with their friends due to the pandemic.
There is also the chance that your children haven’t seen their grandparents for a long time because of the pandemic. Sewing a nice gift for them could really brighten up their day during these tough times.
Interesting Related Article: “Patching Things Up: Beginners Guide to Sewing“