Why I hand sew so much more these days

 Given how bad my arthritis is getting, I would think I would give up sewing by hand, but I find I do it more and more. My sewing machine is actually tucked away for a while but I'm still working on a few projects like a sleep shirt and new skirt.

I've been thinking about why I hand sew so much these days.

It's not because it's fast. It's not because it's easy. It's certainly not because it's painless. I'm not very good at it and my stitches are still uneven.

These are also the factors that keep me coming back.

Arthritis - the doctors say keep moving those hands as therapy.

Easy/not good at it - I love learning and perfecting new skills.

Slow - that's a bonus. I took a mindfulness class about the same time I started sewing by hand and I found out a lot of the things we learned in that class are easily applied to hand sewing (And making tea, and lots of other things). But I find I like the slower pace as it increases the value of the finished item in my mind. It encourages me to maintain and repair it for a longer life.

Sometimes I think maybe it isn't as slow. I spend a few moments here and a few moments before bed and before I know it the top is finished. Whereas with the sewing machine, I need dedicated time and I can't always find that in my day.

Sustainability/preparation - something I can do if I ever lose my sewing machine or other adverse events happen.

And portability. It's nice to have something to do in those empty moments while out and about somewhere.

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