"Would you by chance share where you have found answers to questions you may of had besides going to maybe your blog readers?"
Jean asked this question a couple of posts back....
Let me start out by saying that I learned to sew when I was 11 and I never stopped...through high school, college, during my first jobs, back to school, through marriage and pregnancies...I never stopped sewing...so alot of my knowledge is first-hand and through experience. The second place that I gained most of my knowledge was through books. I have a pretty extensive collection that I've been amassing for decades...starting with the Singer Sewing Library.
The internet started to affect my sewing about a dozen years ago when I first stumbled onto the sewing board, Sewing World that eventually evolved into Stitchers Guild...and there were several email sewing lists that I was on from Quiltropolis...which eventually led me to join The Sewing Circle which was managed by Julie Ann.
I made some great friendships on this internet sewing list...discovered JoMars through them...and fabric shopping with friends. Met Colleen Jones (who first taught me about Full Bust Adjustments - FBA)...things that took my sewing to another level.
That's a quick review of my background...what would I recommend today? Patternreview and Stitcher's Guild are sewing boards that have an awesome amount of information and people willing to answer questions any time of the day or night. Podcasts and blogs of some amazing sewists like: Ann, Marji, MaryBeth, Summerset, The Sewing Divas, Phyllis ~ these women have sewing chops and the ability to teach you how to do whatever.
And books and videos...I can't stress enough how far a great sewing library can take you and teach you. My top 10 sewing books are located to the right here and I know that EricaB has written a post on the books she loves.
But most importantly...be willing to learn! Be inquisitive...don't settle...strive to go higher, do better, accept the challenges and the failures and learn from them. Finally...the old saw, "Practice makes perfect!" is so true. If you truly love this craft, you would want to indulge and wallow in it...to learn it to the best of your ability!
Hopefully, with all that the internet offers, as well as, the various sewing bloggers you will be encouraged to spend some time with the craft that we all love to do which is SEW!!!!
Amen!!
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It's not an exaggeration to say that the internet revolutionised my sewing, the inspiration and knowledge that is out there is astounding. I think yours was one of the first blogs I discovered and it's amazing to think we have met in person despite living thousands of miles apart!
ReplyDeletehow true what all you say. I learn alot from blogs now a days. And am always either buying a book or looking it up on the internet or asking questions. One that I asked you several months ago I'm going to do it Carolyn on your advice I am getting a new machine the brand you recommended it's time I want to get very serious as I was before about my sewing. I love clothes and I love to sew them.
ReplyDeleteI'm another who learned the basics from Mom, accumulated a herd of books, watched (and still do) PBS sewing shows, and now follow sewing on the internet. I'm not sure if the internet is a good thing sometimes, given how much time I'm looking at what others are getting done, instead of getting some sewing of my own done. The parts I still struggle with is "it's not a failure if I learned something", and buying fabric on-line.
ReplyDeleteCarolyn thank you for sharing your sewing-knowledge background and your selection of books (clicking through to your post 'My Ten Favorite Sewing Books' (Aug, 23 1007) had me printing off the list of Singer books so that I can tick off the ones I do & don't own (yet LOL!). Then visiting your 'New sewing books have arrived' post had me running to Amazon to buy another Adele P. Margolis to add to my library - 'The Dressmaking Book' :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for enabling my book habit (hehe)!
Wonderful, uplifting post. I'd add that you should wear the things you make out in public -- at least once, even if you don't think you like them. You may discover that it's not as bad as you feared, that others compliment you. Or you may figure out how to tweak a garment to save it. Or you may reassure yourself that your original instinct was right, and it is time to either thrift it, gift it, or shred it into rag yarn and make a rug.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
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