tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post4809729662504486485..comments2024-03-29T03:54:45.048-04:00Comments on Diary of a Sewing Fanatic: Experience vs. EnthusiasmCarolyn (Diary of a Sewing Fanatic)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02204627216540667980noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-56563188115758748672011-06-24T14:35:42.718-04:002011-06-24T14:35:42.718-04:00I just read all the comments quickly and Tilly'...I just read all the comments quickly and Tilly's blog post, and I have to say that I thought her post was harmless and not warranting any criticism. The main idea was that she wasn't challenging herself anymore and wanted to learn new techniques. I don't think she said anywhere that learning new things is a substitution for experience. Experience, of course, comes with time - it's how you get that experience that matters, and I think that she's taking the right approach, by continuing to learn something new as she sews.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-77759861432659393832011-06-24T11:33:21.625-04:002011-06-24T11:33:21.625-04:00I'm not sure I completely understand the criti...I'm not sure I completely understand the critique of Tilly here. The nature of starting out is that of course you don't have experience--the only way to get experience is to try, learn, share, talk about it, attempt things, and push yourself. All that requires a LOT of enthusiasm, among other things. It's not necessary to clash the two E's against each other like that so that it's one or the other. Everyone, beginner or advanced, uses both at their own levels.<br /><br />I think it's hurtful to criticize someone starting out about inexperience--yes, I know. That's why I'm on these blogs looking for help and advice. And I'd honestly rather get that advice from someone who's excited and passionate about the things they do, and willing to teach me without looking down on my inexperience. Everyone's learning, all the time. The lovely thing about these blogs is that we all get to share our experiences AND our enthusiasm!<br />So kudos to us all for learning and sharing!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-25010306633303927092011-06-24T08:15:53.124-04:002011-06-24T08:15:53.124-04:00I'm a long time reader of Tilly's blog, sh...I'm a long time reader of Tilly's blog, she was in fact one of the reasons I took up sewing seriously (rather than just a little here and there)<br />My dad has a saying "there is always someone out there bigger and bader than you"<br />I think that applies here, just because you are experienced doesn't mean there isn't many others out there with more/wider/longer experience.<br />There is no guideline that states one must be over 40 and have 30 years experience to do a tutorial as a service to others.<br />Who cares if a bloggers end product is less than top-class profesional level garment?<br />They are illustrating a technique to assist others, who may or may not have equal experience or more experience.<br />My own mother taught me how to sew as a teenager, now I am teaching her tricks and techniques that I have either figured out for myself or learned from amazing talented people just like Tilly who are genous enough to share their experience with others.<br />In short try to be less judgemental with regards to age or 'on the clock' sewing time, you might just learn something.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-24345736267988750092011-06-24T07:06:41.118-04:002011-06-24T07:06:41.118-04:00wow, some snobby comments here. does that come wit...wow, some snobby comments here. does that come with "experience" too?Carynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17870436666815513446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-51878013613072316122011-06-24T04:44:07.816-04:002011-06-24T04:44:07.816-04:00I have to come out in support of Tilly here. As a ...I have to come out in support of Tilly here. As a beginner sewist myself (although I can do a wee bit more than thread my machine ;) I am learning things constantly. Each time I learn something new I get excited by it and want to share it. <br /><br />I post about these things on my blog, not as if I'm setting myself up as some kind of expert, (clearly I'm not!) but to say to people "look what I just learnt! It's NOT that scary. This is how you can do it". That is exactly the sentiment that comes across to me on Tilly's blog which is why I like it. I know (and call me crazy but I suspect Tilly is smart enough to know it too), that each time we learn a new technique, it will take many years of practice to get it to a level we're satisfied with (and even then find ways to make it better). But that doesn't mean you shouldn't share your experiences along the way.<br /><br />I don't think anyone would agree that merely checking something off a "to do" list makes you an expert at it. But surely part of the journey to mastering something is identifying what it is you want to learn in the first place and commiting yourself to learning it.<br /><br />Enthusiasm is indeed no substitute for experience. But what good is experience without the joy of enthusiasm. If I sew the perfect seam every time but never get excited by it, then I've lost something haven't I?<br /><br />To me, the terms beginner, intermediate and advanced are very subjective (depends what your benchmark is) and ultimately it's just semantics.<br />What's important, in my humble opinion, is that we all have the enthusuasm to keep doing what we love, and that we all continue to share our experience, however advanced it is...<br /><br />Thanks for an interesting debate!<br />PxAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10017802422891332588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-72609617476306592062011-06-24T03:11:47.164-04:002011-06-24T03:11:47.164-04:00You're very correct, experience does give the ...You're very correct, experience does give the craftsperson a kind of wisdom that cannot be obtained any other way, and it's worth recognizing this. However, experience by itself is not going to make a great stitcher (I like that term too!). You need inspiration, grit, enthusiasm, patience, time, focus, and -- I think this is the important bit -- you need resources that can help you grow. Tilly's list of techniques she wants to try is a tool she'll be able to use to learn and grow, and I think it's a good model for stitchers of any experience or expertise level. <br /><br />But the resource I think we are all in need of the most is the advice and fellowship of other craftspeople. My mother taught me to sew thirty years ago, and her attention and counsel laid a foundation I could never have gotten from books or from self-study. This is one of the reasons I love the community of sewing bloggers -- I have learned a huge amount from reading about you all's projects, your trials and your victories, and from the answers you provide to your commenters. <br /><br />So, all of you seasoned stitchers, with years of experience under your beautifully hand-crafted belts, please chime in with your wisdom more often! Tell your stories, provide assistance to those new to the craft, and spread the love of sewing by sharing a little of all you know with your fellow needleworkers.EJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09594826841288737921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-45589871422328929142011-06-24T02:43:16.656-04:002011-06-24T02:43:16.656-04:00I could really write a big comment here but will r...I could really write a big comment here but will refrain. I am a new sewist and have a blog (there you go) and I find it a bit patronised that it is assumed that Tilly, and other young sewists, think they become advanced or intermediate just by crossing a technique of a list. Obviously it is known that practice and experience will take you up to a higher level but let's be honest. I can spend the next 10 years of my sewing life doing A-Line skirts and become a pro at them. Am I then an experienced sewist, just because I have decades of it? <br /><br />Trying techniques is what allows you find the skills you want to use and then practice at them. Otherwise, we would do pillows and A-line skirts forever.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01054640961472954823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-25307102629135229212011-06-19T08:38:00.387-04:002011-06-19T08:38:00.387-04:00Thanks for your thoughtful musings about my post. ...Thanks for your thoughtful musings about my post. It's very interesting to read all the comments. Unfortunately a lack of decades of experience is something I don't have a choice about, as I only discovered the joy of sewing when I hit 30. <br /><br />I don't know if I'm being overly sensitive, but some of these comments make me feel like I'm being criticised for only starting sewing in the past couple of years (there is a long - some say sad - story behind why this is, which I'm not going to go into online). <br /><br />The reason I started my blog was to document my journey as a beginner. I soon realised that the fact that I was starting from scratch was encouraging other people who'd never sewn before to give it a go. And this is what I now see the point of my blog being - to inspire people to try sewing and to have fun with it.<br /><br />While I may lack decades of experience, I have unbridled enthusiasm for the pleasures of making things with your own hands, precisely because it's new to me. As a wise person once said (can't remember who!), the best teacher of x is sometimes the person who has just learnt x. Not only because of their enthusiasm, but also because they know how to explain something to someone who doesn't know it, because it wasn't long ago that the teacher didn't know it either.<br /><br />Right, I'm getting back to my sewing table. A couple hours' more experience beckon! ;)Tillyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05346200271671855136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-17347191659885371882011-06-13T08:20:24.935-04:002011-06-13T08:20:24.935-04:00thank you for this post - it's a much more dip...thank you for this post - it's a much more diplomatic way of putting forward a view that I've been keeping quiet on. I too love that there's a lot of new sewists blogging these day because there's so much more inspiration out there, but it sort of niggles at me when they offer tutorials on how to do something when what they produced was a little bit ordinary because they lack experience. Nice to offer advice, but I think it would be beter to link to other sources.<br /><br />I've been sewing for nearly 15 years now and only consider myself an advanced beginner.....Kristy Chanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07385704380789244157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-78246034024186280732011-06-12T00:46:23.736-04:002011-06-12T00:46:23.736-04:00Oh, and also, I love Star Trek too! I have a now a...Oh, and also, I love Star Trek too! I have a now abandoned blog that was devoted to recipes and pictures from a weekly Star Trek potluck that I hosted while in grad school.centrallyisolatedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08823356747586145225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-51804852287201321002011-06-12T00:44:29.437-04:002011-06-12T00:44:29.437-04:00Another enthusiastic youngster chiming in here... ...Another enthusiastic youngster chiming in here... I guess all I can have at this stage of life is enthusiasm and book smarts, because I don't have the time to sew as much as I would like. I call myself an intermediate sewist and probably will for ages, but it's just because beginner seems a bit too low (like people are going to think I'm learning how to thread my machine or so), but advanced seems obviously too advanced. We need some better descriptors in the middle there to adequately describe our skills!centrallyisolatedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08823356747586145225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-13849292572713144632011-06-11T11:03:21.197-04:002011-06-11T11:03:21.197-04:00When I as 19, I worked as a wardrobe mistress for ...When I as 19, I worked as a wardrobe mistress for the Berkeley Shakespeare Company, (now CA Shakes). It is a professional Equity theatre, which means the people in the shop also belonged to the craft division of Actors' Equity.<br /><br />Those people were masters. I loved working with them, to the point of working extra unpaid time in the costume shop just so I could learn their techniques.<br /><br />I would never call myself anything other than an adventurous intermediate because I will never have the time to practice enough to be a true expert like the ones I watched.<br /><br />I am with you on experience. Matching the right fabric to the right pattern and my figure, then fitting the thing, requires much experience. Both sewing and with inhabiting my body.<br /><br />It's good to see young people interested in sewing, though. I am so happy to see that.badmomgoodmomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-50297436077342117402011-06-11T03:54:45.363-04:002011-06-11T03:54:45.363-04:00I also read Tilly's blog; it was one of the fi...I also read Tilly's blog; it was one of the first sewing blogs I started to follow. I would call myself an intermediate sewer of about 35 years experience. I learnt most of what I know by sewing for my family, who were either too polite or too young not to wear the garments I made. The journey of learning was fun and also quite frustrating at times. I seem to have come full circle and now make clothes mostly for myself. These days the projects have to be sewn and worn within a short space of time. I love my hobby, but I just don't have the time to spend on complicated techniques. Learning from others blogs is interesting and certainly motivating. Sometimes I wonder if their blogging experience far out-weights the sewing experience, but does it really matter. I am learning so much and love the creative outlet that blogging allows.Gracehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17564026796452978152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-32556757456759358882011-06-11T01:25:19.425-04:002011-06-11T01:25:19.425-04:00As a young sewist, I've really only been sewin...As a young sewist, I've really only been sewing regularly for 4.5 years, I feel as if what I am missing most is experience. It's not putting me off sewing but I do feel like every garment I make is better than the last. This year I am attempting to be more careful with my sewing and taking my time to get things right and pay attention to the techniques. It is great to see how much experience plays a part in your sewing and has made you really aware of what works for you, not just in terms of techniques but with style and fabric as well.Jesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05165346495544051139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-36666516235213751242011-06-10T08:44:19.944-04:002011-06-10T08:44:19.944-04:00Your words have just inspired me to get back into ...Your words have just inspired me to get back into the game, (sewing). I use to sew my own clothes when a teenager living in Germany back in the 70's as there was not a selection of tall sizes at our local PX-Post Exchange. <br />Since getting married, having kids, and well, just living life..I've not made anytime for my most fav. hobby through the years. <br />I'm now on the brink of getting back into it. You're words this morning were written as a true sewing philosopher!! Always enjoy visiting your blog! You're a true inspiration!!! Thank-you!Amy W.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05515525422366541627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-87719522689639341612011-06-10T06:41:21.270-04:002011-06-10T06:41:21.270-04:00Malcolm Gladwell has suggested that it takes 10,00...Malcolm Gladwell has suggested that it takes 10,000 hours of effort to become an expert, which certainly supports what you're saying. I use this guideline to keep from getting impatient with my progress, though this is more an issue for me in other domains. I sew for fun, and I don't count the hours!Andreahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10674930108735903116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-39292312242707552222011-06-09T21:50:22.444-04:002011-06-09T21:50:22.444-04:00Enthusiasm of the craft will keep these sewist or ...Enthusiasm of the craft will keep these sewist or stitchers motivated; each technique learned are like stepping stones to the next level of experience. But,as the old adage goes, "practice makes perfect...." The more these techniques are put into practice, the more experienced they/we will become. Experience does not come over night, but increases as you keep working at it. <br />I, too, like you Carolyn,am an aged and experienced sewist, but I never ever tire of learning because there are always things to be learned. I believe when a person gets to the point where they feel they can no longer be taught anything, then they may as well give it up~ there's no more enthusiasm.....Thus, the reason for my website, Sew Much Talent, where inexperienced can meet expereinced to learn and share....<br />Thank you for always willing to share!Alethiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11058947130553530912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-15444489125046483492011-06-09T20:56:38.668-04:002011-06-09T20:56:38.668-04:00This reminds me of a quotation:
"The error of...This reminds me of a quotation:<br />"The error of youth is to believe that intelligence is a substitute for experience, while the error of age is to believe that experience is a substitute for intelligence."<br />(Lyman Bryson)<br />If we just substitute "enthusiasm" for "intelligence"... ;)<br />So, I'm with you - neither replaces the other - each brings something unique to the table. :)Gwenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12953347562329586677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-47778281448025458482011-06-09T18:46:05.946-04:002011-06-09T18:46:05.946-04:00I agree! You can't merely cross a technique o...I agree! You can't merely cross a technique of your To Learn list and call yourself experienced. You must learn a technique and the apply it over and over before you nail it. <br /><br />I learned darts as one of the first things. But I sewed for 7 years before I learned that I need to shift the bodice dart on the pattern to match my bust point for a better fit. Had I crossed "dartmaking" off my To Learn list when I first learned them, I'd be fooling myself. Great post!Jill of all Tradeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11457731170900293409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-55048343551797800762011-06-09T13:35:59.631-04:002011-06-09T13:35:59.631-04:00That's exactly what I meant! I would have made...That's exactly what I meant! I would have made the first CJ dress, said "meh" and moved on. But you saw exactly what to change to make a second fantastic version. <br /><br />I feel like I'm in my sewing adolescence - I've got some skills, but I still have flops, mishaps and an occasional hissy fit. And most of these are things that experience would help me sort out - fitting issues, fabric choices, etc. I'm trying to be patient with myself and enjoy the learning process. It's always a big victory when I have a hunch and it turns out to lead to a good decision.Cliohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05552253628640209694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-63713819610398020812011-06-09T13:22:05.038-04:002011-06-09T13:22:05.038-04:00Enthusiasm is what gets you started and keeps you ...Enthusiasm is what gets you started and keeps you going. But it is experience that makes it all worthwhile and also keeps you going. The skills alone aren't enough, it is more in the knowing, and this is true in so many things, not just sewing.Mardelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04850551308931710502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-87875906279343337242011-06-09T13:19:12.919-04:002011-06-09T13:19:12.919-04:00I agree that experience is an important element, e...I agree that experience is an important element, especially since sewing is usually a solitary activity and you're often on your own. But along with experience and enthusiasm, I also think talent plays a big part in advancement of skills and results. All the experience and enthusiasm in the world won't advance you past simply following patterns and their directions as-is if you don't have the inherent stitching talent somewhere inside you to begin with.Debbie Cookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03601675304884019607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-19709953921751019232011-06-09T11:40:37.208-04:002011-06-09T11:40:37.208-04:00I guess I'm experienced, having made one of ju...I guess I'm experienced, having made one of just about anything you can name over the past 50+ years. I find sewing now much more fun, partly because I don't have to make mostly conservative business clothes, partly because of the new techniques and brave young sewists who show their work on various blogs and forums, and partly because of the new fibers available for home sewing. There's always another challenge around the corner!<br /><br />I bought a book last year on couture techniques and was surprised to find that that's how I learned to sew, used to sew. These days, I'm much more interested the kind of personalized design you do and learning new techniques while playing with fabrics I've never seen before. Love your blog!Bunnykinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09884512446294782011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-16739180745874285902011-06-09T11:08:27.345-04:002011-06-09T11:08:27.345-04:00I agree. If it was only enthusiasm my early sewin...I agree. If it was only enthusiasm my early sewing experience would have been much more fruitful! ;) But they were sometimes naf, and I had to make peace with practice.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-19269132966165065482011-06-09T10:37:23.752-04:002011-06-09T10:37:23.752-04:00I agree. We have to try on and on, and survive our...I agree. We have to try on and on, and survive our mistakes...<br />Oscar Wilde once said: "Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes." (Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan, 1892, Act III, Irish dramatist, novelist, & poet (1854 - 1900))<br />And he's right. Experience is know what to do when things don't go well.Mom (MÃriam)https://www.blogger.com/profile/08643113330246564793noreply@blogger.com