tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2096776708897685863.post7936040551135072277..comments2024-02-23T04:39:49.329-05:00Comments on Conversations in Klal: The Fine Art of Being a Balabusta--Part #1ProfKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17954446826821665314noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2096776708897685863.post-55411361294294761312008-03-06T16:51:00.000-05:002008-03-06T16:51:00.000-05:00My mother taught me how to hand sew small tears an...My mother taught me how to hand sew small tears and buttons and such when I was a small child. It's saved me a lot of annoyance and gained me a few friends when I've taken care of little sewing jobs for friends. It's a useful skill.Scrapshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15911315552965685448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2096776708897685863.post-79564974346577738552008-03-05T08:11:00.000-05:002008-03-05T08:11:00.000-05:00MOI, it's not that crochetting is more important t...MOI, it's not that crochetting is more important then sewing but that when women were/are freed of having to make clothing they can turn to the needle arts that are seen as more artistic. Crochetting is something that you choose to do rather than something you must do. The same for embroidery.<BR/><BR/>There is also this. Today, in the world we live in now, computers and knowing how to work with them are a necessity. It is almost impossible here in the states to get a job if you cannot at least basically work a computer. Not only is this unlikely to change, but it will only grow in importance.ProfKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17954446826821665314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2096776708897685863.post-42264729835863957552008-03-04T16:58:00.000-05:002008-03-04T16:58:00.000-05:00Thanks for your response. I still don't see why cr...Thanks for your response. I still don't see why crocheting is more important than sewing; include either both, neither, or at least one. I could make a case that knowing how to alter clothes, hem pants, and mend is much more practical than crocheting a sweater. Taking things to the tailor takes time; I can hem a pair of pants in 5 minutes. My son is grateful because his friends have to wait a week for new pants to be hemmed.<BR/><BR/>Computers and sewing do require different abilities. But sewing doesn't require physical strength, only a minimal amount of fine motor ability that most people possess (similar to writing, which most people master by age 6 or 7). Following or altering a pattern requires mental ability, and is harder than stitching, but can still be mastered by most. My point about computers is that although there are very intelligent people who can't manage a computer, most people, even many of below average intelligence, can manage them well enough on a user's level. Same with sewing--anyone who can use a pen has the agility to sew.mother in israelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13715046177293916034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2096776708897685863.post-47289421348943064132008-03-04T16:10:00.000-05:002008-03-04T16:10:00.000-05:00Mother in Israel,Of course the love counts when yo...Mother in Israel,<BR/>Of course the love counts when you are making clothing for your children. When mine were young I sewed their purim costumes. I did not, however, sew clothing for myself. The time on the costumes was with my children and they got to get in on the act. Also, no one was going to look funny at a purim costume where the stitches might not be completely even or the fit was not exact.<BR/><BR/>My point in this posting is that sewing today is optional as far as making clothing goes. If you enjoy it then that is your "hobby." Being able to sew for small repairs should be known. Beyond that, no, knowing how to sew clothing is not a basic requirement for being a balabusta. Nor is it analagous to computers today. Sewing requires physical skill to produce, something that not everyone will possess in equal measures. Not everyone has the "talent" to sew. Computers require mental ability, far different then physical aptitude.<BR/><BR/>I am not against sewing, only it's inclusion as one of those things a woman must do, and do well, in order to qualify for "balabusta-shaft."ProfKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17954446826821665314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2096776708897685863.post-66776433287721057282008-03-04T13:35:00.000-05:002008-03-04T13:35:00.000-05:00anonymous,I think any adult, or either gender, sho...anonymous,<BR/><BR/>I think any adult, or either gender, should be able to sew on a button, repair a hem, change a washer, replace a fuse or reset a breaker. Anyone with enough sense to be trusted raising children should probably also be able to snake a toilet or replace a light switch or plug.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2096776708897685863.post-22998007996120842672008-03-04T13:27:00.000-05:002008-03-04T13:27:00.000-05:00Does the love in every stitch not apply to handmad...Does the love in every stitch not apply to handmade clothing or other sewn items, like a Purim costume? Why is decorative stitching in a different category?mother in israelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13715046177293916034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2096776708897685863.post-1903603390811232712008-03-04T11:03:00.000-05:002008-03-04T11:03:00.000-05:00Ariella, I didn't say that everyone should own a s...Ariella, I didn't say that everyone should own a sewing machine. Especially if someone is planning to sew only one skirt with it. But I still think that basic sewing is a skill that most people (not all) can acquire with a little effort, especially if they learn as children. Look at how many people use computers nowadays. Sewing used to be like using a computer is today. Whether or not everyone should be taught nowadays is arguable, but I want my children to have that skill. I still find it useful and enjoyable, even though I will never excel at it.mother in israelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13715046177293916034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2096776708897685863.post-50705526153864190022008-03-04T10:42:00.000-05:002008-03-04T10:42:00.000-05:00Mother in Israel--The point is that we aren't in t...Mother in Israel--<BR/>The point is that we aren't in that pre-industrial age any more and being able to sew your own clothing is not a survival skill any more for those in the US and I would imagine for those in Israel as well. Being able to fix a small tear is something else. And no not everyone can get the skill of sewing and be able to use it. And the money also figures in here. If I can buy a skirt for $20 ready made then what am I saving if I have to buy material and thread and a pattern and then take hours to sew the skirt by hand? And if you need a sewing machine, figure in the cost of the machine across how many clothes you will sew on it. I have a job that pays me about $32 an hour. It's poor economics on my part to make a $20 skirt while costing myself $128 and up.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2096776708897685863.post-35739468291980325912008-03-04T09:19:00.000-05:002008-03-04T09:19:00.000-05:00You may be right about a specific historical perio...You may be right about a specific historical period, but in general I disagree with you. Sure, the very rich could order clothes and the poor might get hand-me-downs. (But hand-me-downs were probably much harder to come by in those days, when people had fewer clothes and repaired them more frequently--I imagine they would just wear out.) But before the onset of the industrial age the vast majority of clothes were handmade by the family. Yes, some people are better at sewing, but it is a skill that most people can learn. Especially if they start young, which they did. They might not sew well enough to make a wedding gown, but knowing how to sew one's clothing was a very basic skill. It's similar to cooking. Some people are better than others, a few are hopeless, but most people can learn how to make basic meals if they are inclined to. It's not so hard to make a skirt or dress, even by hand, especially if it's not fitted. If they couldn't design the outfit they could still help stitch, or vice versa. If you look at novels from before the industrial age, women spent a large amount of their time sewing. <BR/><BR/>I think that children should know how to use a needle and thread and the sewing machine to do repairs and make basic outfits. I learned in high school and I occasionally sew for myself and my daughters. I got a good book and retaught myself. My friend recently made herself a skirt--by hand.mother in israelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13715046177293916034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2096776708897685863.post-76789987148223548272008-03-04T08:19:00.000-05:002008-03-04T08:19:00.000-05:00Not to be sexist here, but shouldn't plumbing and ...Not to be sexist here, but shouldn't plumbing and electrical work be one of those things that the baal ha'bayis should know how to take care of? Lots of discussion about what the girls aren't being taught to do but aren't there things that men were taught to do that they aren't being taught today? Like hammering in a nail without leaving a 5 foot hole?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2096776708897685863.post-13712918306069630832008-03-04T06:32:00.000-05:002008-03-04T06:32:00.000-05:00perhaps the ability to do small electrical and plu...perhaps the ability to do small electrical and plumbing repairs is more important for a modern householder. Plumbers and electricians charge far more than seamstressesAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2096776708897685863.post-162718085670354552008-03-03T15:28:00.000-05:002008-03-03T15:28:00.000-05:00I would agree that it's not worth the time to sew ...I would agree that it's not worth the time to sew up things that you can purchase cheaper but for the really expensive items like wedding outfits sewing yourself could save a lot of money. But profk is also right that just being taught how to sew won't make you an expert at it or give you a talent in it. (My grandmother tried for years and even she gave up with me) So that is a conflict. The things which sewing would be a savings on are just those things which most people wouldn't be able to sew.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2096776708897685863.post-76137052163781576992008-03-03T14:33:00.000-05:002008-03-03T14:33:00.000-05:00I think Rochele is right. What a balabusta needs ...I think Rochele is right. What a balabusta needs to know depends on where and when she lives. Today sewing is not something people have to know but can if they choose to. It's a matter of how much time a woman has and what the cost is in time and money.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2096776708897685863.post-47674018769884628412008-03-03T13:04:00.000-05:002008-03-03T13:04:00.000-05:00There were plenty of things that people had to kno...There were plenty of things that people had to know how to do in the far past because it was a matter of survival and necessity. Balabustas milked cows, gathered eggs, plowed fields, drew water from wells, spun wool into thread and sewed what their families needed to wear. A balabusta doesn't have to do these things anymore. Why include sewing today as something that a balabusta has to know? Plenty of our great great great grandmothers who would have been overjoyed not to have to do the sewing for a whole family. I can sew on a button and that is about it. I can also change a flat tire, something more useful in the age I live in.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2096776708897685863.post-32371668623933676232008-03-03T10:53:00.000-05:002008-03-03T10:53:00.000-05:00my parents taught us sewing, and I can, by hand se...my parents taught us sewing, and I can, by hand sew simply garments and other objects.<BR/><BR/>My mother has always ment one day to teach me to sew with a machine. (if I weren't so afraid of putting the needle through my finger.)<BR/><BR/>But I'm not a girl. I sewed the fake strymel that i use on purim, and i've many times fixed tears, or even missing parts on my jackets.<BR/><BR/>But with girls clothes, at least outside of new york (and maybe even in new york) being able to sew things like skirts and jumpers is a major advantage. So little properly tznius clothing, and generaly I'm not so sure that its at all common for it to be cheaper to buy, and certainly with askirt its simple enough that copying it and doing a better job than one might get in a store is not that difficult.<BR/><BR/>But I'm a boy.<BR/><BR/>(and no, I never learned needlepoint. I want to some day though, but I don't have much paitence. Maybe its something I could sit down with my besheret when I find her and do together while having a conversation.)(I seem to relegate far too many of my interests to that...)<BR/><BR/>(and I seriously doubt that most jewish girls around know as much about washing laundry as I've found in the old better home and garden's book. It tells you exactly how to get all kinds of stains out of clothing... its rather scary the amount of effort people must have put in to figuring out these things.)Looking Forwardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04876831969877780546noreply@blogger.com