Sewing is Hardware

I have recently busted out the sewing machine and serger to get working on a few projects and it got me thinking...

Despite the lack of space, I have managed to get started on two new diaper bags for friends who have a new baby and a baby on the way (that's you Daryl and Jenny!). I also have some fabric I bought 6 months ago to make a slip cover for our sad looking brown chair in the living room. We'll see if my domestic streak lasts long enough to get that project finished too.

While I was serging all the edges on the diaper bags last night (love that serger!) I started to think about how similar sewing is to home improvement projects.

Just like you COULD build a house with a screwdriver, hammer, planer and saw, no one would recommend it. Not only do power tools speed up the job, they add accuracy to the work so you can accomplish square corners and smooth surfaces which would be impossible without them. And it's so much more fun and satisfying to use the right tools for the right job.

This weekend our back yard neighbors decided to make some screens for their windows. It was really satisfying to be able to reach into my store of tools and give them a hack-saw and spline tool which they would need to finish the project. The best part was the "wow, you are really handy" comments which came along with it.

Similarly, using my serger gives me the same pleasure of having the right tools to do the job. Before the serger I was sewing for profit for friends in North Carolina and I cringe at the state of the pieces I made at that time. I even made a coat for myself, but it was a chenille fabric which unravelled easily. After only one winter season it was fraying everywhere! Now that I serge all the edges (boring, yes, but a necessary step for quality) I know that the items I make will last.

Having the right tools for the job really make it easier to get to better quality without requiring much higher time to achieve it. Some words of wisdom for work too....