About
Do you find yourself dreaming of simpler times?
Me too. Let’s talk about it.
On Pattymac Makes, we explore all sorts of fun hand crafts and home bakes. Think of me as your guide to an updated Home Ec class, and rediscover the fun and satisfaction that only comes from having a beloved hobby. Consider new avenues to unplug and find ways to relax offline.
Do you daydream about a time with no computers, and definitely no smart phones. Research meant going to the library and spending time in the card catalog. And Home Ec was still an elective in school. You might remember this time with fondness, or you might be too young to have had this life experience. Either way, there is not time like the present to revisit this vintage experience that is quite relevant these days.
Speaking of Home Ec, my favorite high school class, I learned about sewing and making simple recipes. I had an hour a day where I was gifted the simple enjoyment of craft and making. I also took art, but art class invoked the pressures of wondering if what I made was “good enough.”
In Home Ec, it was more about participation than it was about a final product. Participation is a lot more enjoyable and freeing than having a creative project displayed and critiqued. We learned concepts for making useful objects as well as learned life skills. Useful things like hemming pants or baking biscuits.
We discovered the value in having hobbies. We made things for enjoyment and learning, and not with a goal to monetize or sell.
Why are sewing and crafts and home baking relevant in the 2020s?
Knitting, machine sewing and embroidery are important, because they create something lasting. Our lives are largely digital and stored on smart phones and laptops and Instagram feeds. That information will fail. This is a certainty.
You know what else is a certainty? Something certain to last? Baby blankets. Scarves. Beautifully stitched embroidery hoops. Treasured family recipes.
Knit your baby a blanket and one day your grandchild could be snuggled in the same blanket.
When I revisit the cedar chest of handmade items passed down through my family, I feel like Iām tapping into my grandmas and aunts who made those things.
It’s not about “just having a hobby.” It’s about having a connection with your family and loved ones that comes one stitch at a time.
How Magical! You can knit a set of scarves for your family to wear when you take your fall family pictures, and 25 years later actually put those knits on again as you reminisce with your (now grown) daughter or granddaughter the night before her wedding. That is powerful. Wrapping that hand knit scarf around your neck on will take you right back to that chilly afternoon and revive all those long forgotten memories.
Hobbies are valid and worthwhile.
Hobbies are a way to unplug and enjoy some analog time which is increasingly important in this overly connected world. Hobbies provide an outlet for learning new skills and techniques. They are a way to take personal pride in a physical accomplishment, which is far more rewarding than any amount of likes on an instagram post.
Welcome to your new favorite hangout.
On Pattymac Makes, we delve into all sorts of fun hand crafts and home bakes. Think of me as your guide to an updated Home Ec class, and explore the fun and satisfaction that only comes from having a beloved hobby. Consider new avenues to unplug and find ways to relax offline.
Let’s make something special. š
Hi there, I’m Patty.
Sewist, Baker, Maker
I’m a creative lifestyle blogger living and working in Coastal Virginia. When I’m not mixing or stitching or taking pictures, I’m out exploring the cook book section of my favorite library or munching my own home baked cookies at a mid week movie matinee.