Ted is learning to sew for “a very manly reason,” which he refuses to reveal. If I had to guess I’d say he’s making a manly Halloween costume, which he wants to keep secret until the big day.
I’m not sure what I think about men learning to sew. I think every man should know how to sew on a button. Beyond that I’m not sure. Women these days are doing “manly” things and we’re not supposed to say they’re manly things so I guess we should encourage men to do feminine things but I’m sort of old-fashioned in some ways. I like the idea of some things being masculine and some things being feminine.
September 30th, 2009 - 9:01 am
It’s great that men learn to sew (and knit, and crochet, and all that) but I have to admit I get a wee bit tired of all the fawning “Oh look! He has man-parts AND he does fiber crafts!” attention they get.
I do a few things (mainly work-related) that might be described as more traditionally-masculine, and no one’s thrown me a party for it.
September 30th, 2009 - 10:43 am
Yeah… Women are practically required to do things that are traditionally considered masculine; otherwise we’re betraying the sisterhood or some such nonsense but for a man to do something traditionally considered feminine is unusual and a Really Big Deal. As I said I’m a bit of a traditionalist but when it comes down to individuals why can’t everyone just do whatever they want and everyone else mind their own business?
September 30th, 2009 - 11:01 am
I think sewing buttons and darning socks is a necessary part of a person’s repertoire.
I was interested but never bothered to try knitting or crochet, but I have enjoyed my every decade or so attempt to sew things using a sewing machine. I have always kept a very old fashioned sewing machine of my grandmother’s because the new ones seem very complicated to me. I think that the complexity of sewing machines, even in the past, should have burst the misconception of “girls” as not good with machinery, but somehow it never did.
I am blessed with a wife who does all of the womanly things like sewing, etc. and also likes to do manly things like remodeling, and she does them both well. You should see the library she made me.
I like it when people are capable. Doesn’t matter their gender.
September 30th, 2009 - 9:34 pm
I can probably sew, I’d just be bad at it through lack of practice. I can also knit, crochet and cross-stitch. It’s just that I largely don’t.
I know of a few guys who got into sewing in a big way: they make kilts.
September 30th, 2009 - 9:45 pm
Women don’t generally mind it too much if a man spends time with activities that don’t interest women as much, so long as the activities are typically masculine sorts of things – sports, hunting and fishing, manual crafts such as woodworking, tinkering with cars, and so on. What women do not tolerate are activities followed mostly by men yet which aren’t considered wholly masculine: World of Warcraft, Dungeons and Dragons, sci-fi in general, renaissance faires, Civil War re-enactments.
September 30th, 2009 - 10:24 pm
Military men have traditionally been required to know a bit of sewing to do repairs on uniforms in the field; sailors, of course, had to be able to repair sails. I can hand-sew fairly well but can’t use a sewing machine.
October 1st, 2009 - 6:37 am
I can’t see why a woman would have a problem with World of Warcraft, D&D, sci-fi, etc. I think it’s more the amount of time spent on these activities. We want you to pay attention to us once in a while.
October 1st, 2009 - 6:38 am
Not all women. I’d probably swoon over a guy who was into re-enacting. And yes, even ren faires, as much as the cool kids like to ridicule them.
October 1st, 2009 - 10:17 am
Let’s hope I never have to re-enact the time I had to sew on a button.
October 2nd, 2009 - 9:40 am
Men should definitely know how to hand-sew for purposes of making minor repairs. I’d consider “machine sewing for creative purposes” as strictly optional.