But How Will Sewing Camp Get My Kid Into M.I.T.?

Fifteen years ago, before my kids were born, I knew exactly which colleges they should consider and which career paths would be most likely to make them successful adults. When they were born, I picked out the tummy time mats with the most neuron boosting potential (black and white), sang them the most educational songs, looked deeply into their eyes just the right amount (because too much eye contact is really bad too) and avoided anything with red dye 40. I weighed the pros and cons and planned for the exact right number of kids in our family to maximize each kid's potential. According to my calculations, the right number was two. 

Then, Oops! We had three. We also found that we really enjoy the red Twizzlers. And of course, my kids have grown to be their own people with their own ideas. My hot job picks of 15 years ago are all wrong now. At the rate the world is changing, my new career paths are guaranteed to be totally obsolete by this time next year. 

As parents, we sometimes wonder how art class, clown school, magic camp, and dance will get our kids into the right college. Shouldn't they be in math tutoring from 9-noon, coding camp from 1-4, and reading the classics until bedtime? Don't factory machines do most of the sewing these days? How useful is sewing as a skill, really? 

Sewing camp is never just about sewing.

Sewing is creative problem-solving and multi-dimensional thinking. It transforms planes of fabric into complex designs (quilts), three-dimensional shapes (stuffed animals), and containers (clothes). 

Sewing is an opportunity to make low risk mistakes, revise, redesign, and stick with it even when it's hard. It rewards grit and tenacity with a tangible hand-made creation. The learning curve is steep but the payoffs are huggable. 

Sewing is connection. My goal in sewing camp is to teach a new skill, yes. But it's also about connecting kids to other kids and practicing pro-social behavior. Sewing camp kids are encouraged to mentor each other, share materials, and offer encouragement. 

And sewing is just fun. Everyone needs space in their lives for fun.

It's impossible to anticipate tomorrow's most promising career paths but throughout history, creative problem-solving, grit, tenacity, and pro-social relationship skills have been at the core of success in all fields. These kids are building the skills they will need wherever they are headed. Sewing kids become the adults who mend the world.

I left my work as a psychotherapist in 2019 to begin laying the foundations for Sew My Goodness. I live and sew in Austin, Texas with my husband, three kids, a hamster (he doesn't sew), and a few dozen sewing machines. I come from a long line of seamstresses, embroiderers, quilters, darners, hemmers, scrap savers, upcyclers, artists, improvisors, and connection makers. For me, sewing is utilitarian, it is art, it is healing, and it is connection. In addition to private sewing camps and classes, Sew My Goodness offers "Sewcial" Clubs, camps, and enrichment classes throughout Round Rock ISD.