I tend to agree that I don't like the sewing much. I've only used it on occasion. To see what it does, to show someone who was curious about the game, and onve in a while I get a villager whos clothes
just don't suite them!But in one game I put off building the sewing hut for so long that I had every other building project finished first! At that point the the builders just ignored it, even though it was 29% finished. I'm leaving it that way since not having it built means my exercising villagers don't get
distracted by window shopping 
(i.e. they can complete thei laps.)
Pinkfish, I'll also save L3 Explore for last, but I usually get L3 Science early, only to speed up the tech point collection.