The reason this trick has stuck around for so long usually becomes obvious the moment sewing stops being easy. Because not every fabric behaves nicely. Thin cotton or lightweight material is one thing. But once you start dealing with thicker fabrics — denim, canvas, upholstery material, layered hems, heavy seams, or anything with real resistance — sewing can suddenly feel much more stubborn than people expect.
That’s usually when the frustration starts. The needle doesn’t move the way it should. It drags. It catches. It takes more pressure to push through. And even if the fabric itself isn’t impossible to work with, the repeated resistance can make the whole process feel slower, rougher, and more tiring than it should. That’s especially true when sewing by hand. Because once your fingers start fighting the material instead of working with it, even a small project can become more annoying than satisfying. And that’s exactly the kind of problem old sewing habits tend to survive for.
Not because they look impressive. But because they solve something specific in a way that’s simple enough to keep using. Which is where that bar of soap suddenly starts making a lot more sense.