The Sewing Community

I've always wanted to post about this on my personal blog, but I've never been convinced that it fits in with my other posts.  I worry that my other blog becomes really sewing-centric, and I don't want to alienate people who may not be interested in what I'm making!

However, because this blog is devoted to my little Etsy store, I think it fits in perfectly!


I live in Washington, D.C., which is a big city.  So you'd think that with a big city comes different kinds people, including sewers and crafters.  Well, you would be wrong.  We seem to be few and far between, and when we do come out, we're eager to say, "...but I do (government contracting/training/whatever) as my full-time job!"  The stores are lacking--I went to G Street yesterday for some purse making supplies and found a zipper.  That was it--and my peers are more interested in going out and getting ahead than learning a craft.  That's fine, everyone can live their own lives, but it would be wonderful to find some like-minded people!

Cue the internet.  When I started sewing, before I even took my first class, I read blogs.  Tons of them.  I read archives of blogs, followed links on Flickr pictures.  I made notes of where people shopped, who sponsored their blogs, what patterns they liked.  I starred entries in my Google Reader for later retrieval.  Because there was so much information out there, I had a lot of catching up to do.  The funny thing is, I never felt overwhelmed.  I felt inspired and everything available to me helped me in my journey.  I could Google "(pattern name) review" and get answers to pretty much any question I had...immediately.  Seeing as how my personal teacher (my mom) was 800 miles away, this came in handy many times.

As my sewing projects began to stack up, and I religiously took photos for my Flickr account, I noticed the praise flowing freely between sewists.  There was rarely a picture that didn't at least get viewed, and comments and "favorite"s were abundant.  On forums--I frequented the forums for Oliver + S and Colette patterns--people were quick to help instead of judge.  Other online communities have problems with anger and hate, but the sewing community was friendly and full of help.  I know that sounds hippie-dippy, but it's true.  I never felt disheartened or discouraged by the blogs I read.  In fact, if anything, I felt completely the opposite, and would daydream about what I was going to sew next.

I also noticed that the sewing community doesn't encourage the same body-hate the fashion community does.  I think these two separate worlds sometimes are confused with each other.  While one community is no better than the other, as that is a different post for a different day, their focuses are intertwined, but on completely different levels and perspectives.

Going back to what I said about feedback, the comments on clothing someone had made--not always flattering, and sometimes not the best fabric choice--were never mean-spirited.  No one ever called anyone any variation of "fatty."  There weren't snarky comments or bad attitudes.  I tend to think of it as, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."  I'm sure the comments were in many a viewer's brain (sometimes even my own), but here was a sewer putting herself out there for the world, and not only did she decide to wear this but she made it herself.  How can we not accept that?  Even if it wasn't the most flattering outfit featured, there comes a certain pride with creating that we all know and feel.  Pooping all over that just isn't an option.

I also don't notice a lot of, "I can't wait to lose 10 pounds/Don't look at my flabby arms/Ugh, cankles!" comments on people's photos of themselves.  Fashion, and models, are notoriously thin and skinny-focused; sewers are creating for themselves, and therefore sew what makes them happy.  I can think of five bloggers off the top of my head who are plus-sized and create gorgeous outfits.  I love reading their blogs and seeing their dresses, skirts and tops.  When I go to a Flickr group to see what people are making, I don't see all thin women.  I see thin women, heavy women, average women, pregnant women, runners, bikers, quilters, grandmas, moms, teenagers, little kids.  This is not a community of exclusivity, and patterns can be made smaller or larger--and there might even be a tutorial for that.

Sewing is about creating a community, whether you're sewing bags, quilts, clothes, or dolls.  Whether you're like me, relying on the internet for support, or you have friends and family close to sew with you, there are people out there who are offering inspiration, encouragement and help at every corner.  It's so satisfying to create something and be able to share it--I love getting feedback on my work because it makes me want to do better with each new project.

If you're just starting out and would like some help finding blogs and inspiration, feel free to drop me a line.  I'm always way too excited to share my favorite blogs!