15 Reasons Why Sewing is Better than Cooking
Do you have a lot of friends who love to cook or bake? I do! They love their culinary feats so much that they sit around and talk food all the time. I’m polite, but uninterested.
The truth is, most of the time I’m sitting there thinking of why I love sewing more than anything they could come up with in the kitchen. Here are my top 15 reasons that I think sewing is a better hobby than baking. Join me on the fabric side!
1. Handmade clothing lasts longer than a plate of food
Show me a handmade dress, and 15 years later you can show me again. If you were to show me a plate of food, however, you’ve only got about half an hour before it’s cold or gone.
“Well, what about a stunning recipe?” you ask. The replication of that dish 15 years later will likely not be the same. It would depend on the quality of food, the skill of the chef, and the ingredients all being equivalent; unlikely.
2. Quilts last even longer than clothes!
Even though there are some traditional food dishes, they are not enshrined in a museum to demonstrate skill and quality. They are mostly reminders of difficult or prosperous times, leaving aroma and flavor to the imagination.
Quilts show difficult and prosperous times while still existing so that we can experience the sensations of smooth, heavy, and timeless comfort. Sorry mac n’ cheese.
3. You can’t ruin a sewing project by getting distracted
There are so many demands on my time that sometimes I am unable to sort through and focus properly. Especially as I get older I just prefer to do things at my own speed. Burnt soup, soggy noodles, flaming… what? That never happened!
My sewing project gets finished at my pace (which varies from one project to another). I can slow the stitches down, or leave a project for years. When I’m ready, it’s waiting for me and I can pick up right where I left off.
4. Sewing can’t make you overweight
When I’m preparing a meal, I eat the whole time I’m cooking and then I eat again when I serve it.
It turns out that sewing is a great diet plan for me. When I’m really going on a project I sometimes forget to eat. If you can relate, read my ‘sewers-beware’ article so that you know when to quit for the day.
5. You can fix nearly any sewing or quilting project by simply unpicking
Oh, you for got the yeast? That’s GONE! Darn, the lid of the salt fell off when you just wanted a dusting? THE DOG WON’T EVEN EAT IT! Aw man, too much liquid in the buttercream? Dump at least half and START OVER!
Sewing? Put a creative patch on top. Sew it again so the seam shows up straight on the other side. Rip that seam out and start again. No regrets!
6. People who sew and quilt are sweet, giving, sharing, and perfectly lovely
Snobs? I think not! Quilters are regularly donating their projects, or sewing for the purpose of donating. Sewers will often hem or alter clothes for free, and (also for free) there is a wealth of instruction available in person and online from experienced seamstresses.
7. Sewers can take trash and make treasure
I won’t pretend that there aren’t some frugal chefs and bakers out there. I know some who can make something wonderful out of a few humble ingredients. But most of the time it takes fresh and new ingredients to really make the remarkable meals. You can’t make stew out of the meat packaging.
I can use items that people throw away, and make something amazing. Pet food bags recycle into my shopping totes, vinyl packaging becomes a window on my wallet, and an old sheet becomes the backing on my favorite quilt or an apron. All those supplies are free!
8. Sewing makes you smarter
Here is a short list of brain requirements: fine motor skills, visual focus, spatial awareness, depth perception, pattern recognition, sequential processing, bilateral coordination, arithmetic, and geometry. Practice sewing on a regular basis, and your genius will manifest!
9. You can take your sewing projects with you
Have you ever heard of a travel cooking kit? Can you imagine the mess in the back of your car? Like the goldfish crumbs and abandoned fruit snacks aren’t a good enough indicator.
There are numerous sewing projects that can be done on the go. You can even sew things that make your other crafting projects more convenient! It’s practical and rewarding. This free sewing pattern is for holding string or yarn, and this free sewing pattern is perfect for making individual kits!
10. Sewing requires mostly sitting, not standing
Cooking is a very involved and active hobby. I have tried to do it sitting down when my back hurts or my feet are done. It’s no pretty. That’s when I usually cut myself or end up standing anyway.
But if sewing is your thing: Do you work on your feet? Grab a comfortable chair and you are set. Do you work all day sitting down? Put your machine on a standing desk and go nuts. Whatever makes you comfortable is how you run this show.
11. It’s easier to multitask while you sew
Multitasking while cooking is a disaster waiting to happen, not to mention a fire hazard!
When you’re sewing you can catch up on your shows, talk on the phone, even read books to your children (if you’re in a good rhythm). Nothing will get dirty, and if you lose your spot and mess up just UNPICK!
12. Sewing is better for the environment
To meat or not, to fertilize or not, to clear the land for this or that – no need.
Sewing skills are practical for repurposing other items and creating longevity. No new fabric is required when you use leftovers to make quilts or alter your clothing to fit longer and better.
13. Fabric doesn’t expire
Even though some see the expiration date as a suggestion, it will eventually be too nasty for animal consumption.
Fabric won’t leave you with a bad taste in your mouth or explode with botulism. I still have fabric from over 20 years ago (see, unfinished and still fine) that is in great condition.
14. No one ever got food poisoning from a poorly sewn dress
There are a few ways to get sick from food, and not all of it is obvious. A gift of food is great, but there’s a chance that it won’t feel good later on.
Every gift I give comes with a gluten-free, peanut-free, salmonella and botulism-free promise!
15. Sewing is more creative than cooking
There are limitations to how many ways you can cook a cinnamon roll, or how many variations of an egg you can dish up.
You can sew a yard of fabric into more than 50 different things! And more designs are developed every month as people create endless patterns for making life beautiful.
16. Bonus Reason: Sewing saves your life
Alright, I know that food saves lives too; I get that. But you don’t call 911 or visit an urgent care when you only have rice and beans.
Stitches (on the other hand) are used in nearly every medical profession. Surgery anywhere (for pets and wildlife, too), lacerations, and even expanded arteries require the good (modern) old fashioned needle and thread!
More from SewCanShe
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Believe it or Not: 50 Sewing Projects Using Only One Yard of Fabric
20 FREE Back-to-School Sewing Projects So You’ll Be Ready to Go!
Disclosure: some of my posts contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of those links I may receive a small commission, so thank you for supporting SewCanShe when you shop! All of the opinions are my own and I only suggest products that I actually use. 🙂