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- by Charlotte King
- In Budgeting
Posted June 27, 2014
Student Saving Tip: Learn to Sew!
Many people think about skills you'll use as a postgraduate and think of maths, writing or language learning. Very few people will consider sewing - after all, it often seems outdated! But it's incredibly useful as a method of saving money. Some people learn to sew from watching others, some learn through online tutorials, and those who are really serious about it sign up for sewing programmes. Regardless of the method you use to gain knowledge on the craft, the reality is that sewing is a very useful skill. Hence, although tailoring is not meant for everyone, learning how to sew is important even if you only do it at the basic level.
Where Can You Learn About Sewing?
Sewing lessons are provided to both beginners and experienced dressmakers. If you know nothing about sewing at all, going for beginner classes would be ideal. Still, you have to remember that this will cost you in terms of both time and money. Thus, unless you are ready to sacrifice these, it may be better to get someone to teach you and then look through various sewing sites to gather more information. A really good free resource is youtube, especially if you're a visual learner.
Benefits of Being Able To Sew There are a whole bunch of benefits to being able to sew, but for postgrads especially, we think these are the ones worth highlighting: 1. Independepence Sewing can contribute more towards your independence as a student as you won’t have to rush to a tailor whenever a button falls or if your clothes get ripped. The good thing is that for such simple repairs, all you need to know is how to thread a needle and pass it through fabric to make a few stitches. This is a great way to avoid last-minute shopping trips in the middle of your thesis.
2. Repair Your Own Clothes When you know how to sew, you can save a significant amount of money given that you won’t need to pay anyone to do it. Things such as adding an elastic band, fixing a zipper, or trimming and hemming the edges of frayed jeans won’t seem so hard anymore. Instead of having to replace clothes when they start wearing out, you can just fix them.
Selling old books , preparing your meals, and making your own coffee are the other simple ways through which you can cut down on costs.
3. Do Clothes Repair For Friends And Colleagues Many people do not know how to sew and most tailors are very, very expensive. Because of this, you can maximise on your skill by sewing for other students in exchange for money. If you are good at it, you will find that word of mouth will start to get you even more business. The best part is, the materials are so cheap that you won't feel bad asking for money, because it'll be cheaper than them buying new clothes!
4. Adjust Old Clothes With such a skill, you can in addition, alter your old clothes and make new ones; meaning you won’t be obliged to go shopping every time. Not to mention, you can easily sew an improvised curtain for your room, or create your own costume for a fancy dress student party. It's one of the most efficient ways to save money and also gain a valuable skill!
5. Make Fitting Outfits If you are one of those individuals who have a hard time finding fitting garments from the stores, you can also gain from knowing how to sew. This will make it easier for you to deal with fitting issues regardless of your size or height. No more expensive catalogue only clothes or having to get everything hemmed - you can do it all yourself and save a ton.
6. Relaxation Sewing can be very therapeutic, and is really good for stress. Not only is it nicely distracting, it's also easy to do alongside something like listening to revision notes, or watching relevant youtube videos. Unlike most relaxation methods, it also won't cost you that much money - and what it does is easily made up for in the savings.
Even if you don’t have the time or money to take a course on sewing, you can learn in a piecemeal manner over an extended period. You can also get a beginners book for reference, and this will help you learn more things and ensure that you do everything correctly. The more you continue sewing, the better you will get at it.
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Where Can You Learn About Sewing?
Sewing lessons are provided to both beginners and experienced dressmakers. If you know nothing about sewing at all, going for beginner classes would be ideal. Still, you have to remember that this will cost you in terms of both time and money. Thus, unless you are ready to sacrifice these, it may be better to get someone to teach you and then look through various sewing sites to gather more information. A really good free resource is youtube, especially if you're a visual learner.
Benefits of Being Able To Sew There are a whole bunch of benefits to being able to sew, but for postgrads especially, we think these are the ones worth highlighting: 1. Independepence Sewing can contribute more towards your independence as a student as you won’t have to rush to a tailor whenever a button falls or if your clothes get ripped. The good thing is that for such simple repairs, all you need to know is how to thread a needle and pass it through fabric to make a few stitches. This is a great way to avoid last-minute shopping trips in the middle of your thesis.
2. Repair Your Own Clothes When you know how to sew, you can save a significant amount of money given that you won’t need to pay anyone to do it. Things such as adding an elastic band, fixing a zipper, or trimming and hemming the edges of frayed jeans won’t seem so hard anymore. Instead of having to replace clothes when they start wearing out, you can just fix them.
Selling old books , preparing your meals, and making your own coffee are the other simple ways through which you can cut down on costs.
3. Do Clothes Repair For Friends And Colleagues Many people do not know how to sew and most tailors are very, very expensive. Because of this, you can maximise on your skill by sewing for other students in exchange for money. If you are good at it, you will find that word of mouth will start to get you even more business. The best part is, the materials are so cheap that you won't feel bad asking for money, because it'll be cheaper than them buying new clothes!
4. Adjust Old Clothes With such a skill, you can in addition, alter your old clothes and make new ones; meaning you won’t be obliged to go shopping every time. Not to mention, you can easily sew an improvised curtain for your room, or create your own costume for a fancy dress student party. It's one of the most efficient ways to save money and also gain a valuable skill!
5. Make Fitting Outfits If you are one of those individuals who have a hard time finding fitting garments from the stores, you can also gain from knowing how to sew. This will make it easier for you to deal with fitting issues regardless of your size or height. No more expensive catalogue only clothes or having to get everything hemmed - you can do it all yourself and save a ton.
6. Relaxation Sewing can be very therapeutic, and is really good for stress. Not only is it nicely distracting, it's also easy to do alongside something like listening to revision notes, or watching relevant youtube videos. Unlike most relaxation methods, it also won't cost you that much money - and what it does is easily made up for in the savings.
Even if you don’t have the time or money to take a course on sewing, you can learn in a piecemeal manner over an extended period. You can also get a beginners book for reference, and this will help you learn more things and ensure that you do everything correctly. The more you continue sewing, the better you will get at it.
Related articles
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