GhostsofHomeEcTeachers

When I'm sewing, I often hear the ghosts of Home Economics teachers. Mostly they say "Aren't you going to baste that/press that/pin that/measure that/straighten that/do that more carefully/hand sew that/finish that edge?" Sometimes they say "I told you you should have been more careful! That would have worked if you'd done it my way!" Occasionally they say "Oh for goodness sake, just learn to make a buttonhole and put in a zipper that doesn't look wonky!"

I murmur through clenched teeth "Shut up! You see this? I'm sewing it. I may be sewing it badly, but I am making it, there is a significant chance that we will be using it, and it will make a small child happy, crooked or not. Yes, I could sew better, but I would sew less. Some day, I will be motivated to put in enough zippers to get it right. Perhaps I will make some zipped purses so that the wonky zippers don't matter so much -- in fact, look, over there are some random assorted zippers for just this purpose. But right now I am making things. I am convincing a small child that sewing is cool. So go bother somebody who isn't sewing at all!"

One of the remarkable things about this discussion is that in fact, I never took home ec. I took shop, and stunk at it. My shop teachers would be just as appalled at my sewing, although they'd shake their heads and say "I knew it, looking at your sloppy joints." They would not be surprised to hear that I haven't sawed wood in years and don't remember how to solder. Which makes it all the more puzzling that I'm still sewing, cack-handedly but mostly happily.