The new homemade

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about handmade vs machine-made. I work at a quilt shop that sells embroidery machines that cost anywhere from $3k-19k. At home, I sew on a straight-stitch 1950s Singer. Both ends of the spectrum bring me joy, one for the pleasure of testing what new technology can do, and the other for its simplicity.

But not everyone feels this way. Take embroidery. It’s really fun to create something “professional,” and if done correctly, arguably more durable, than what one could embroider by hand. But can a machine stitch have the same indefinable magic?

There is the question of “whose design are we stitching?” For myself, I’ve always drawn and painted, but am more of a designer than an artist. I find it easier, and less stressful, to trust a machine to stitch out someone else’s art. My creativity is expressed in the choice of fabric, thread color, and application (an apron vs a wall hanging, for instance), but not in the actual image that is embroidered.

One can use software to create truly personal work that just happens to be stitched out by machine. But there is a learning curve, and certainly more expense, to create custom embroidery designs using software, compared to hand-drawing on some freezer paper or washaway, and grabbing a couple dollars’ worth of needle and thread.

There is value in creating something by hand because it is slow. On the other hand, I’m not the only person who loves being able to give more embroidered or quilted gifts because they‘re relatively quick to create.

In the end I suspect that for most of us, practical issues decide how we craft. One person may struggle with arthritis, and find machine embroidery a wonderful way to continue to create what fingers alone no longer can. Another may find hand-stitching helps ease stress, while learning a new computerized machine would do just the opposite.

I’m curious to hear your thoughts in the comments. And remember, this is just “beta” content. I want to hear from you! The first newsletter will go out in April and include a report of the Palouse Patchers and Seaport Quilter’s Guild quilt shows. I would love to include any other news, thoughts or advice from our community of Valley stitchers. Join in by subscribing below, and send me a message here.