The Benefits of Sewing: 9 Reasons Why Sewing Is Important!
I thought it might be fun to write a brief post about the benefits of sewing.
There are many great reasons to sew your own clothes – and they differ for each of us!
You too may have many reasons for sewing, and they will no doubt differ from mine, and that is A-OKAY!
Why Is Sewing Important?
Here are three big reasons that sewing is important:
- Being able to sew enables us to make the most out of existing items that need minor repairs for a longer life span
- Sewing is a creative skill which can help us feel more creative
- It can be more budget friendly than buying something new, which has a better impact on the environment
How Can Someone Benefit From Basic Sewing Skills?

If you have even the most basic of sewing skills, you will benefit in many ways. Not only will you be able to make simple mends and alterations – sewing on new buttons or shortening a hem for instance – but you’ll also be able to quiet your min with some slow sewing when life gets a bit much, as it often does for me.
What Are The Benefits Of making Your Own Clothes?
When it comes to making your own clothes, the benefits are vast!
For me, sewing my own clothes means that I:
- Have clothes that fit better
- Have clothing that is more unique and special
- Am able to choose the fabrics that I want to use, based upon their origins / sustainability reasons
- Have something joyful to look forward to each week – seeing the finished item brings me so much joy!
- Get to receive compliments from others who love my outfits
- Get to feel closer to both my Mum and my Gran, who have now passed away, but taught me so much about this skill that I love
Is Sewing Different From Dressmaking?
Absolutely!
Sewing is the skill of using needle and thread – by hand or by using a sewing machine – to create a line of stitching.
Dressmaking is the skill of making made to measure clothing items from fabrics.
Dressmaking of course uses sewing to create the clothing, but sewing is not limited to dressmaking – we can use sewing to create:
- Curtains
- Cushions
- Drapes
- Table runners
- Pot holders
And so much more!
Why Is It Important To Learn Dressmaking?
Well, learning dressmaking is only important if you have yearning to sew your own clothing. If you prefer to sew items for the home using fabric, then learning dressmaking is not a skill that you need to invest time in.
However, if you can sew, and you long for better fitting clothes, then understanding dressmaking would be beneficial to you.
The Benefits of Sewing
Now that I have answered some questions that my readers ask, let’s get down to the benefits of sewing. Here are mine, let me know in the comments what yours are:
1. A Unique Look

Whether it is a commercial sewing pattern used by thousands of home sewers, or a self designed and drafted pattern of my own making, the main benefit in being able to sew is that I can look and feel like one of a kind.
I can make up a dress or a skirt from a pattern, choose or construct a fabric completely different to what anyone else might choose around the world, and feel like an absolute winner by expressing my own sense of style through both the pattern / design choice, but also the fabric choice too.
Sewing your own clothes allows is the only way that you can guarantee that you have a unique wardrobe. I really love knowing that nobody else will be wearing the same thing as me.
2. Hand Eye Co-Ordination

We all know that sewing with a needle and thread by hand, or by machine, requires hand eye co-ordination.
Not only do we need out eyes and fingers to thread these teeny tiny holes in sewing needles, but we also need to see where we’re sewing out stitch lines.
Which is why practising hand eye co-ordination is shown to help keep our brains *almost* as nimble as our fingers!
3. Emotional Well Being

The above photo is the very last one of me and my Mum together, taken in August 2020. She passed away in October 2021.
I struggle every day with her not being alive. With my not having been able to see her before her hospitalisation in the summer. With the decision I made to have her admitted for medical treatment, and her never having the chance to sleep in her home of 40+ years again.
That’s a lot of emotional trauma.
But you know something? The times when I am not actively thinking of the above, or feeling heartbroken, are when I’m buried deep in a sewing project.
Sewing is said to be therapeutic – and I can attest to it being the case.
4. Social Life Improvement
Prior to 2030, I had found that sewing opened up my world. While the social sewing has been put to bed the past two years, meeting people online through social media who sew and pattern cut has really broadened my friendship base.
And this has been great for my relationship too as my poor other half was getting very fed up being my only sounding board for ideas!
5. Environmental Impact

Buying clothes in today’s world of fast fashion means there is a never ending amount of clothing going to landfill.
By sewing my own clothes, I are more likely to love it and wear it for longer.
One other benefit of sewing your own clothes is that you’re able to take something that existed as one piece of clothing and turn it into something else, again minimizing the chance of it ending up in landfill.
read how I upcycled a dress into a DIY wrap skirt, a man’s shirt into an apron and a second hand kaftan into a DIY dress for my brothers wedding!
6. Sewing Is Creative

Granted, the above photo of my DIY jeans is not everyone’s idea of amazing, but to me they are super fun and creative, and I enjoyed every moment that it took to make them!
Not only is sewing therapeutic, it is also super creative, which makes it one of the best benefits of sewing in my eyes. Think of all the different ways that exist to sew a seam, finish a hem, insert a zipper.
And then there are all the different types of fabric to work with, all the different patterns to hack up and create with.
Getting creative with our construction techniques and fabric choices means we are engaging our brains in more creative thought.
Great for the mind!
7. Lifetime of Learning

Sewing – and then pattern making and draping – is a life long learning mission. I have readers who have been sewing for decades and still ask me questions about different pattern cutting methods.
And once they have learned pattern making, they want to learn draping on a dress form – an even more creative and fun skill, once you have a dress form to work with of course!
Keeping the brain active but building upon our sewing and pattern making skills is great for keeping our minds younger than we are, and lessens the chances of us having dementia in our older years!
8. Self Esteem

For the most part, I dislike photos of myself. And yet, the above photo is just me laying down with an easy sleep mask pattern sewn up.
Learning to sew really does wonders for your self-esteem. When you’ve finished a dress or a jacket and a friend comments and asks where you bought it?
That warm fuzzy glow you get when you reply ‘I made it’? It really does wonders for your self esteem, and makes you feel like you can – and should! – be more visible!
9. Clothes That Actually Fit!
Yep… Each of us is unique. Very few of us fit what the fashion industry would call ‘normal’ sizing! Which means that far too often we struggle to find clothes or sewing patterns that fit us.
By designing and sewing our own clothes, we can ensure that they fit us properly, which will in turn give us so much more confidence in ourselves!
I know that throughout 2020 and 2021 I made more of my own clothing, and as a result wore clothing that fit me well, and therefore felt far more confident around or in front of other people.
The Importance Of Sewing
While for many, sewing is just a ‘meh’ topic that they have no interest in, the importance of sewing in my life is that it helps me to not only relieve stress and depression, but I am also able create a wardrobe of fabulous and unique clothing for myself, in line with both my design aesthetic and my sustainability beliefs.
I would love to hear about your number one reason for sewing – or your reason for not yet getting started with sewing! Let me know in the comments further below!
Don’t forget to check out all my sewing beginner friendly sewing tutorials!
Loved this post! I have loved sewing since I was a child, still learning every day and have my own blog to document sewing tutorials. This was so nice to read, sewing really gave me more confidence and gave me a purpose as a person.
🙂
Thanks for your comment Helen! I need to pop over to your blog and check out your makes! 🙂
Although I haven’t seen recently, but the reason why I see are the same as yours. It builds my self-esteem, and it keeps me from feeling bored .
Great post. All your reasons for sewing are on target. I have been sewing since I was a child (grew up sitting by mom sewing). I am now in my late fifties and still learning new things. Retirement and a husband on disability has caused me to get into refashioning and upcycling. I have learned so much online. I have created many cute costumes for my grandkids for very little money. Both the girls have had many a princess dress made over a peasant pattern and yes shirts lol.
Sewing helps me as a mom. It’s really fulfilling when I am able to sew my kids costume for school activities. I don’t have to worry if I can’t find a ready-made costume.
Great post! Sewing is indeed a must acquire skill for all women – especially the ones who wanna style up for events in their own unique manner. I found some literally cool sewing accessories for beginners. They are handy and easy to use for everyone!
I’m chiming in a few years later. I was looking for good reasons to sew in order to inspire new members to our quilt guild. I’m a lifelong sewer and I’d like to add two more reasons, though not my top two. You’ve already hit on those … relaxation/stress relief and enjoyment!
Another reason is to save money. You can make your own high-end garments with gorgeous fabrics for a fraction of the retail price. The second is to be able to make one-of-a-kind, customized gifts. There is nothing like a personally made gift for someone you love or to donate to charity. It’s very special and usually more prized than a store-bought gift.
I’ve gotten into making quilts for charity recently. It’s a wonderful way to use leftover fabrics to make a lively, colorful blanket to comfort anyone from NICU hospital babies to the elderly to those suffering with a serious illness.
Oh Joanne, these are fantastic additional reasons, thank you for sharing them. Would you mind if I added them to the main article when I next update it?