My Personal Sewing Policies
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 ก.ย. 2024
- Felt like chatting about stuff today, so let's get into it!
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Sewing your own clothes used to mean you were poor. Now it's more expensive to sew your own clothes than it is to just buy clothes because clothes are so absurdly cheap now. The disdain for homemade clothes was rooted in classism, and the moving away from that mentality is also, sadly, rooted in classism.
my grandma's mother used to take her and her sisters into town to look at the dresses. she would ask them what they wanted, and then go home and make them. she used newspapers for pattern paper. that woman was a true artist.
I remember some girl in my sister's middle school class looked at a new outfit she was wearing and tried to embarrass her making. She mad the same point that SHE wasn't stuck with wearing stuff off the rack that dozens also were wearing. I still snicker about how fast that subject got dropped.
Exactly what I was going to say, on both counts.
I don't know what happened to barriers but I was raised, " if you can't say something nice, don't say anything " people on social media have a tendency to be nasty because it's more or less "hidden". Be nice people. Also I have sewn most of my life and have usually been complimented, envied, so thank you very much and you go girl, love your videos.
It's also a ploy for business. A lot of our late 20th century cultural beliefs stem from early 20th and late 19th century ads and marketing. Average people used to make essentials and buy luxuries, raw materials, and tools.
Words to replace drafting: free-handed, couture’d it up, draped it into place and went with it, meh’ed it into existence, threw some measurements down and took that fabric to town. Yeah, those are good.
"meh’ed it into existence" is hilarious. all your ideas sound so fun and perfectly describe the "winging it" mentality. Love them all.
Oh my god, I'm so gonna use "meh'ed it into existence" - I'm dying laughing!
meh’ed it into existence!!!! Love this sooo much!
I like frankensewed it together
Meh'ed it into existence is the best description for my crafting I have ever heard!! Love it!! 😂
I'm in my mid 50s and never really learned to sew. Last year I became absolutely obsessed with learning to sew a style of dress made by my favorite American dress maker. I did not want to sew pillows or purses or elastic waist skirts. I wanted to sew THAT dress. My very well meaning Mom bought me a book of beginner sewing projects (pillows, blankets, pot holders yawn). Other well meaning friends were willing to help, but started with, "Show me the pattern." I started searching and could find a few rare patterns with similarities, but not THAT pattern. I finally decided on one pattern to start with. Certain I would fail, I used fabric is absolutely distained- a Sponge Bob bed sheet. My Aunt, bestie and her sister helped me complete it. It actually turned out cute. Still I wanted to make *THAT* dress. I own several copies of that dress (they will custom make it in any number of prints). I picked my least favorite dress, grabbed the seam rippers, and took one dress apart. I learned so much about the order at which I would have to sew the dress and its construction simply by taking it apart (I wish I had thought to put in notches to help with reassembling it!) I have since made three of them, and will make many many more since. Having a specific dress I wanted to make pushed me to learn how to sew zippers, hem, and sew yoked collar. It really took having something I WANTED to sew to force me to learn to sew. Yes, a smarter person would start small and work up. I simply don't have the time. I would have lost interest long before I got to what I really wanted to do. So... I did not draft a pattern per se, but I started a different way than most people do.
I adore this story - it’s the perfect illustration of finding the way to creativity and creation that works for you!
That's amazing 🙌🏻 you don't have to do it the "smarter way" that's subjective anyway. Besides, your way got you dresses that you love 😻
Ditto on 'the smarter way' being subjective! Some people will give up or get overwhelmed if they try anything too difficult which is why it's generally recommended to start small, but some people are the exact opposite - they set their sights on a specific thing and will push through frustration and difficulty that would make most people give up just to make that specific thing. And making anything else doesn't sustain their interest long enough to learn the craft. The smart way is whatever way works for you.
Yeah, it's frustrating that the "learning to sew" journey starts with things no one uses. (or at least, things most people don't need)
It would help a lot if the why is explained, the simple shapes that make a 3d thing to learn how pieces fit together, or the straight seams to learn to sew in a straight (as in, not wonky, not that curves don't exist) line etc. But I feel you can learn those things on items you want to make, rather than the standard list of potholders and pillow covers.
I started with a raglan sleeve blouse with a striped fabric. I was ambitious, and didn't even know it lol.
I disagree about the smarter person. People learn best when we're motivated to do something that really inspires us. You chose perfectly and the proof is in the pudding.
My Grandma who was sewing for 85 of her 92 years told me homemade is honest made. I agree with her 100%. She could sew anything (she even made tents). She said since the Industrial Revolution there was no true heart in the mass produced clothes. She had a dress that she kept that blew me away. Details that looked machine sewn and every time she wore it when she was younger she felt like a million dollars. She also made both of her wedding dresses. When I make something I know it’s going to last vs the store bought clothes. I have kept some of my earlier oopsies, to remind myself nothing is perfect. For me sewing is a bit of an addiction. 💕💕
The confusion between seamster and teamster has all the makings of a 1970s sitcom!
Bhahahahaa I'd watch that!
Seamster Local 209 holding on by a thread. Will National seam them in or cut them out? Tune in next week.
Would anyone want to use teamtress?
Temptress?
Pirates of Penzance- he ended up a pirate instead of a pilot.
I woke from a dream, during illness with a high temp., and had the idea for a top with tie front and high waisted, button up pockets, wide leg trousers. These didn't exist to buy, and no pattern that I could find either. They had to be made, so I set about making them up. It took time, and skills that I needed to learn. But they exist now and I love them both. Here's to freehanding things into existence!
One of my favourite scenes in Anne of Green Gables is when Anne excitedly chats about puffed sleeves. Marilla tells Anne that puffed sleeves are silly and she won't sew them into her dresses. Matthew overhears this exchange and quietly goes to another women in town and arranges to have a puffed sleeved dress made for Anne. When he unveils the dress to Anne she is excited. But Marilla is mortified that her rival sewed it. She vows to always sew what Anne wants.
This is how we used to sew. Sort of as a community. Often without patterns (formal ones). The crapification of clothing over the last 30 years has made sewing almost necessary to an extent. Although if you wanted something to fit then having some sewing skill has always been necessary. I love the creativity of the human race. The Internet has allowed a massive sharing of talent.
❤
Seriously, they charge so much for something a sweat shop worker making 25 cents an hour sewed with plastic fabric that another sweat shop worker made for 25 cents an hour then sell it to us for 75$ or more. It doesn't breathe, it doesn't fit, there's often big errors in the product because the workers are being forced to move at inhuman speed, and it falls apart within ten wears.
I bought a skirt from Holyclothing because they supposedly pay their workers well and they use fabrics that LOOK natural. Paid over 100$ for something in the same quality range as whatever Walmart is selling right now for 20$. Big errors with the embroidery, pattern matching, and they used fabric that was already damaged. I'd rather pay a bit more for a sewist to hand make it for me until I can afford to get my own set up.
@@alliekingsley7919yeah, the markups are absolutely wild and frankly despicable.
Lol “crapification”, I need to use that word. And yes, the gate-keeping around sewing is awful.
I love the terms "Sewist" and Freehanding!!!! Thank you for promoting homemade with mistakes!!!
It is about time that we all woke up to the fact that " home made" is just as good if not better than store bought!!!!!!
Applause, applause. Would you like clothes that can last more than a few weeks? Would you like a garment made of something other than plastic? Ask a sewist.
I think if I am around 80% happy with a home made project that makes it way better than store bought where 70% is a good purchase.
"Failure" is such a relative term. My DnD group went to see the DnD movie, so I made a replica of a magic cape we'd recently found in our game. All I had was a picture, so I made everything from scratch. There's no lining, you can see all the seams, the back tails are pieced together from three pieces because I ran out of fabric, and I didn't have a sewing machine at the time, so you can see all my uneven stitches. I am so proud of it. It's janky as all heck, but I managed to finish it despite all of the challenges I had along the way. I still wear it around the house when it's a little chilly.
There are a lot of options between a 1 and a 20, and I bet the cape still gave you buffs when watching the movie :)
that is so awesome!! well done.
How have I never thought of making myself a cape? Thank you!
Piecing is historically accurate ^-^ well done on going for it!
I adore telling people I make my own clothes! I will never tire of the feeling of accomplishment that making a garment gives me.
The first time I made a corset made me feel like I had an inhuman superpower
And the astonished “You made that?!” is very good feeling too
@@hb7282so good!! It gives me warm fuzzies 🥰
I get the same sense of satisfaction over making quilts for people I care about.
Me too! I went to a meeting last week and a couple of ladies admired my embroidered brocade blazer. One asked where I bought it. I told her it is bespoke. So are the slacks and camisole I’m wearing. The look on her face was priceless. Now she probably thinks I’m some super wealthy woman who can afford to have her all her clothes tailored 😂😂
I remember as a kid saying, "Oh, my mom made this!" proudly, but then being looked down on. Yes, we were poor. I was just so happy to wear something my mom spent so much time working on.
As a teen/young adult, I would dodge the question or say it was from a thrift store.
Now, everyone thinks it's so cool that I can make my own clothes and costumes. Times have definitely changed.
I wish we, as in all humankind, were less judgemental of each other.
And you are cool 😎 it's difficult to make your own clothes
Btw sewist was added to the OED (Oxford English Dictionary) in 2019. So yes, it is a real word, and yes, real words are just words that people use. Just because someone doesn't like a word, don't stop it being a word. English is an adaptive language where words come and go. There words that aren't really word anymore (get dropped from dictionaries) because nobody uses them, and then new words come into replace them. That's just how English works.
Words dropped from the dictionary are still words, just not used anymore. The dictionary is a reflection of usage, not an arbiter of proper.
Oh this is gonna be fun to pull out at her when next my mom gets uppity xD
The amount of entitlement some people feel to think you somehow OWE them a pattern is off the charts!
Especially when she shows you every step of the construction.
I would just say Free Hand, Eye balled it, or that you just winged it. And ALL OFF THOSE THING ARE PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE!!!!!! :) I am a pattern drafter, and I love your work and highly support you. Who cares how you made the art, as long as you make the art.
Our fam has always used eye balled it. 😄
That's right! We should support each other in making art instead of nitpicking how it's done.
That is so funny.. I am 74 and I learned how to sew from my Sicilian Nana, who lived with us. She NEVER used a pattern and taught me how to make my own patterns. My mother on the other hand was never happy w/o a pattern. My nana's and my own clothes fit me pretty well... my mom's, well let me tell you a story. Mom made we a wonderful suit for Easter Sunday. the sleeves of the suit coat did not fit unless I kept my shoulder shrugged. I never told her or compained. I would wear it every so often, just so she would not ask me about it. She was very proud that she had lined it perfectly. It did look great on the hanger. Move forward....my mom was in her 80's and we were just sharing funny stories with my many cousins who came to visit her and I told her about the suit coat. We all laughed, but till today, I still like making my own patterns! Nana even taught me how to sew bathing suits, bra's and panties etc... You are doing a great job. Saves money on patterns!
When I came across the term sewist, it was a lightbulb moment: yes! I sew and it's one of my creative outlets, so it's a happy marriage of sewing and artist. When I was being taught to sew WAY back in the '60's, patterns were part of the process. Their use became so ingrained as part of the process that I've never even considered self drafting, draping. That's something that professionals like seamstresses or tailors do, not some former Girl Scout/home ec student/Gram tried with me could do. Venture into the world of quilting and the "must do," "must never do" and a plethora of other caveats come cascading down. Dang, I just love color and patterns and want to make something useful, not have it pass a NASA level inspection. I so appreciate the breath of fresh air your channel is. Sew On!
Bhahahahaha NASA level inspection - that's a perfect way to put it! There really seems to be this assumption that someone is gonna come look at all our seams with a magnifying glass, and like.... WHO? XD
Right on! Both my mom and grandmom tried to teach me to sew. My grandmom was much easier to learn from but was getting away from sewing when I was really getting interested. I picked up a book at a garage sale titled The Illustrated Hassle Free Make Your Own Clothes Book. It opened doors I had not known existed. This was in the 70s so the book is most likely out of print, but it’s worth finding, especially for new sewists
@@gettheetothestitcheryThat actually happened to two quilts that I had made for my friend's twin boys. Her aunt in South Dakota took a magnifying glass to my quilting stiches.
I really initially hated the word, but it has grown on me. 😊
My grandpa and dad's version of it didn't have to pass NASA inspection is we're not building a paino. Same vibe from both and completely true!
Growing up in the 80s and early 90s, "homemade" generally carried the idea of awkward fabric choices (cat patterned quilting fabric used to make a man's dress shirt) and ill-fitting garments. Those of us old enough to remember the "Gordon Gartrell" episode of the old Cosby Show have a vivid mental image from that! 😂 Aunt Clara's "deranged Easter bunny" Chrstmas gift to Ralphie also comes to mind (A Christmas Story).
"Handmade" implied a level of skill - properly fitting clothing, attention to detail, and fabric that was intended for the garment made. Not that it was ever perfect, just that time was taken on the front end to reach a level of success.
I am glad to see younger sewists embracing the process of sewing and their final results, and that there is now a community that encourages that. I'm also amazed at the new pattern drafters (largely online). Amazing things are coming out of the millennial and genZ drafters.
Yes, the difference between the two words was skill level when I was growing up. Funny how that word changes likeability when applied to baking now. The public just needs to transfer that perception of love and care to sewing and we're golden.
I laughed way harder than I should at this because I felt it so deeply in my soul (80/90s kid here too) thank you for thinking my thoughts
lol here I am looking for whacky prints to make things. I am embracing my inner Lisa Frank
@@IlorinWaernif you like cats at all, may I recommend Laurel Birch? Her cats always make me smile 😊
Decades ago you could find a fusible waistband product that was perforated so you could fold it precisely in half. I got pretty good at creating my own skirts so long as I had some of that to make the waistband look so tidy. Haven’t seen anything similar lately, but if I did I would be making skirts galore. So easy and fun to do.
You free handing instead of always using a pattern has helped give me the confidence to do the same, and it works so much better for my brain then trying to modify a pattern. I do so much more sewing and creating now that I don't feel like I'm always fighting the process
I love that! Fighting the process is the perfect way to describe what following a pattern is like for me... I so prefer to just do it my way and enjoy the making!
same here! I am working on my first free handed skirt right now!
The same for me as well! I'm currently working on a 1950s inspired dress
I don't even know where or how to start...
@melissad7855 I'm halfway between apttern and self draff(or meh'd it into existence as one commemter said so perfectly) where ill look at a patter to get a vague idea of what the idea is, and then i _might_ draw something small scale on paper, cut it out and tape it up (i did that with a collar and ragland sleves just to nwrap my head around it) to see if my idea has any merit, and then ill cut into the fabric 😊
Honestly seeing you do so well at sewing but still struggle with professional patterns is high key encouraging for me cause I also struggle a ton with professional patterns, but self drafting seems so much easier.
Exactly. I think it's kind of similar to how some musicians can play by ear, some read music, and even fewer can do both.
I really appreciate that you use the word “sewist”. I’m nonbinary and I don’t feel comfortable calling myself a “seamstress”. I never heard “sewist” until I started watching your videos. So, yeah, thank you for using that word I guess, because I was able to find a term I love!
@Taffylassie.Threadssome who makes art is an artist, sewist is of similar coinage.
“Artist” doesn’t look or sound as clunky and awkward as “sewist” though. I’m all for getting rid of needlessly gendered words but couldn’t people come up with something that doesn’t sound stupid?
@@jankkwhen you hear "artist" though it makes you think of someone who paints or draws etc. You don't even really think of musicians when you think of artists even though they are.
basically agree with all of it. on the "reasons not to use seamstress", I'd like to add the seamstresses guild from the discworld series.
I also believe "we don't just improve, we specialise". take 100 sewists, ask them all about their skills. sure, some are fairly easy to identify as "beginners", but the rest? they'll all have chosen different areas that feel fun/fit their interests/produce objects that match their taste & lifestyle, and may be amazing at that but have never even tried something that the sewist next to them sees as a basic, simple thing. as they improved, they specialised. that prizewinning quilter might have no idea how to fit a corset, but the dress historian might have no experience with quilting either.
Ha! Love the reference to Seamstresses Guild. I named my sewing machines after the Wyrd Sisters and the cat; Esme, Magrat, Gytha, and Greebo.
Bless the Disc World! And the honorable profession of seamstress! I miss Terry Pratchett 😢
Exactly - there are so many different things to sew, so many different fabrics. Starting with woven vs knits, how many people do we know that only do one of them because they think the other is too difficult?
I Love the idea of tracing your favorite clothes to be able to recreate them/parts of them.
i just made my first dress yesterday out of an old button up. the bands are crooked, the elastic is too loose, and theres a lot of loose string where im not even sure exactly what happened. but i made it, and i am so proud of myself! i got my sewing machine because i started watching your channel, and im so glad that i did. you gave me the push to start trying out a craft that i’ve always wanted to learn, and now that i am im so excited to keep going :’)
That's amazing, I'm so happy that you gave it a go!!
Congrats on making your first Garment!! (i am still hesitating, but one day I WILL make it too)
Good job!! You should be proud 😻
The world is your oyster. 🎉🎉It is a great pleasure to see. ❤️🧵🇺🇸
Eyyyy congrats! Good on you!
#1 is the reason you are basically the only sewing channel I watch. When I first started consuming sewing content, all I saw was "what you NEED to do/buy to sew CORRECTLY" and tutorials where the sewist went on and on about the RIGHT way to do the thing. It was so intimidating and put me off even trying. Your videos have been a breath of fresh air. It's so encouraging to think I could make everything up and still get a wearable piece in the end.
I actually don’t like labels, but when forced to do so - when I exhibited my textiles in galleries and museums - I called myself either a fiber artist or textile artist. And yes, I also made lots of my daughter’s clothing, and lots of my own, and was a knitwear designer for 25 years.
Now I enjoy making what I want, when I want and support the creative community.
I use "fiber artist" as well, because it's accurate (and because the word sewist grates on me like the word *moist* grates on other people). If I happen to be around people acting pretentious about it (our hostess is the opposite of pretentious, no shade thrown), I'll deliberately and forcefully use "sewer," alternating pronunciation between the fiber craft meaning and the waste management meaning.
i use fibre artist when i show my embroidery pieces, bc i don't follow any kind of plan, and it usually involved starting with a painted canvas, and i think if i call them embroideries people have a picture of what the are that doesn't reallly suit.
When my daughter wears anything I make her she tells everyone that her mama made it and it’s one of a kind… it amazes me how much she appreciates and loves it. I would’ve thought as a 14 year old she would’ve been embarrassed but instead everyone is jealous of her!
Sewer vs Sewer is the first good explanation why to use sewist. My brain has been flinching when I hear sewist, but now I will embrace it
Also - a seamstress is a specific factory job. Someone who just works seams on a production line, rather than assembling an entire garment.
According to a 2012 article in Threads Magazine the first known use of "sewist" was in 1969.
Can confirm (I have two linguistics degrees) literally everything Charlie said about the word sewist as it relates to language change and evolution! Language is always changing!!! It is natural for it to do so!!! The only purpose of language is to be understood and if people generally understand what you mean when you say "I'm a sewist", then congrats that was an effective use of language!
As a fellow linguist, I'm always so happy to hear non-linguists who get that as I think this should be common knowlege but unfortunatly isn't. Also love to have this info as someone who's still learning English but couldn't care less about the Oxford dictionnary view on words but how native speakers use and understand them. Definitely going to use sewist from now on ^^
Today's a great day now. Just smiling already
I think of you as a freestyle sewist who is encouraging me by example to try for myself
I might refer to her as a Chaos Gremlin sewist....and aspire to be one too
Freestyle. I like this for what Charlie does.
Having to shop "off the rack" has added to my body image issues. And patterns are the same way. I am a plus sized "apple" with slim legs, narrow hips (for a woman) short torso, no discernable waist and wider shoulders. I was graced for a short time with the low-waisted era for jeans (manna from heaven) but now that is decidedly over. You're actually starting to convince me the solution could be making my own clothes...and that might aid me on healing the struggle I have with body image! Commercial patterns are intimidating! Free handing based on my actual bizzarro measurements might be the ticket! You've really helped me more than you could know!❤
Hello, almost-twin! I, too, have the figure you describe, but I also have a large bustline. I started sewing in my tweens, using commercial patterns. I immediately found that the pattern was just a starting point and I needed to make numerous adjustments to it to get a garment that even sorta fits. After college I stopped making clothing (Life, you know.) but have always wanted to start again so I could have clothes that fit me again, instead of having to add darts to ready-made tops, or wear long tops to hide that my waistband came up nearly to my bra line, etc. Pants are the hardest to fit, of course, so now that I’m finally retired, I took an online course in pattern-drafting for pants.
Wow, it was HARD! By the end of the course I had 3 test-garments that still didn’t fit. (Some of the problem was how rusty I was with basic sewing.) But I’m stubborn. After the class, I started again from scratch: it took me a couple of months, and was frustrating at times but yesterday I finished my first pair of slacks that fit ME. I learned a LOT and I don’t think I’ve ever been so proud of anything in my life!
I don’t want to discourage people from learning to draft-the opposite, in fact. Keep in mind (1) It’s much easier to start with drafting skirts, tops, and dresses (2) my measurements are atypical in many ways; 8 out of 10 people made-well fitted pants within 5-7 weekly classes. (3) Now that I have that first pair, I can use my custom pattern (called a “sloper”) as a basis for all my other trousers, slacks, jeans, shorts, etc. (4) If you can't find or don't want a course, there's a lot of help here on TH-cam, but it will take more time to learn that way.
Sewing my own clothes really helped me with my body image and confidence. It helped me realize that there was nothing wrong with my body size and shape. It was the clothes that were wrong (for me)! Because there clearly are clothes that fit my body, that I'm comfortable in, and that I look good in, even if I have to be the one to make them. Whether or not you end up sewing your own clothes, I hope you can find the healing you're looking for.
Seriously buying off the rack is so hard. I have a out the opposite body shape so the era of low rise was a curse!!
Also, do it! Try sewing your own clothes! Having clothes that fit makes your body feel more like it fits.
@@johnwatson2887Congratulations on your first pair of slacks!!
I have the exact same body type, and I detest low rise jeans 😂 so interesting how we all prefer different styles even while having similar body types.
So, I am anti all the pockets everywhere.
Context, I was a nurses assistant for over 10 years. Modern scrubs have men like pockets. 2 on the top min, at leat 3 on the pants, enourmace enough for my small tablet to live in good stuff. The fabrics are usually a stable woven, they can have stretch insets on the sides for fit an comfort but usually very stable. I could squat, fold in half, move people, and the pocket contents went nowhere. Very nice.
Compare that to my very comfy, hand crafted knit dresses. Instead of pockets on the belly that held everything, my knit dresses pockets dropped the contents at a sneeze, true story, hold very little, yeah my fault in following the pattern, and banged against my body at the sides.
I hated the way putting anything in them pulled on my neckline and made me feel it with every movement.
So, i am anti cheap knit dresses pockets and very much pro stable apron pockets, my at home substitute. Yay for the tie on pockets! They never fail me.
Fabric makes such a difference for me with pockets. Knits pockets are never happening in my house again. Pro pockets on anything stable tho!
You're not alone in that thinking! I think pockets are having A Moment right now and folks don't think critically on whether or not a pocket is actually appropriate for the garment. Fabric choice and silhouette matter a lot when talking about pockets.
I went through a pocket metamorphosis, screwed up my first ones, no seam allowance. Yeeted my phone. kept iterating until I have comfy hand room and the pockets don't eject the contents. I haven't done Knits yet.....so we'll see
Yes, pockets have to be carefully placed to make sure they'll function properly and not mess up the look of a garment. Sometimes they work, and sometimes you just need a different solution for holding things.
But that is more of a matter of finding the right type of pocket and right style of attachment, rather than pockets in general. A typical pocket in a dress is on a side seam, not attached to anything else, and will pull on the skirt for example. I always put large pockets in skirts, still in the side seam, but I attach the top of the pocket to the waistband at the top, so that the weight of whatever goes in them is held up by the waistband and not the side seams. That solves the banging around and pulling on things where you don't want them to issues.
I'm curious - what would your thoughts be on historical pockets? AKA a stable pocket that's on a belt that you put on under your garment. Then you just reach through the hole in the dress, find the hole in the pocket, and lo, your stuff! Do you think that would make it any better?
I'm a SEWIST!! YEAH. I'm 73 and until I watched one of your videos 2 weeks ago,I was a non-sewist.. always interested in the art world my sewing was put on the backburner. But with your attitude I'm brining out my sewist side. It's exciting again. I love calling myself a SEWIST
When I woke up this morning and turned on TH-cam to see that The Stitchery had uploaded 56 seconds ago. I also noticed there were no comments yet. It was kind of a cool experience because I normally never get to watch these out as the come out, rather I have to wait until a later date due to…life. Always, thank you so much Charlie. Your videos always make my day!
Your point about mistakes being okay and not fixing them is okay really resonates with me. As a recovering perfectionist learning to let things go, tutorials out there that are like "the PERFECT color change for knit/crochet" or "the PERFECT satin stitch" actually stress me out! Trying to be perfect all the time stresses me out! It's literally impossible to do, let me craft in peace!
I can't aim for perfection either; it takes the joy out of it.
I once heard a sewist say that every mistake is a new design. I always try to remember that.
In music, we like the saying, "It's not a wrong note. It's an interpretation."
Some of my best design features have started as mistakes.
I always call mistakes “design details.”
Im always proud to tell people i made my dress and a lot of people will respond by saying they wish they knew how to sew or that they're learning. Even as a kid, my favorite clothes were the ones my mom made for me.
Also, the best thing I ever did for myself was figuring out how to drape instead of relying on patterns. The clothes I drape fit me so much better than any commercial pattern and I don't have to deal with stressful math to adjust an existing pattern
honestly, even if patterns *were* necessary for your garments, there is NO reason why viewers would be entitled to demand that you make and sell those patterns. Not every sewing channel has to be a how-to channel - a person can just post their creations because they're proud of them.
Free handing is perfect actually
The first time I heard the word sewist was on your channel. I was delighted by it as my brain immediately went to -someone who creates wearable art with fabric
It continues to blow my mind when I hear various you tube creators mention the less than friendly comments. The fact that those comments exist is boggling. I am in awe of you, and other yt creators, for putting yourselves out there
May I please mention another amazing yt creator that I adore? TheClosetHistorian
If anyone is interested in learning how to make a sloper, or block pattern, for themselves that’s the person to learn from. Not to mention another delightful creator that can bring a smile to one’s face. Wonderful things get created over there
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I love her! Would really love to try some of her techniques. Just need to summon the courage try try making my own set of pattern blocks first.
Freestyle seems like a good word to use for what you do, styling with a lack of constraints.
You and Micarah Tewers are both people who have opened my mind to the patternless sewing concept. "Drafting" a pattern feels out of reach. "Draping" a garment feels highbrow and is a little intimidating. Throwing a rough outline of a flat garment piece to your measurements onto a piece of wrapping paper and holding it up to your body saying "meh, good enough" is refreshingly accessible. Especially as someone who is outside the standard size range for commercial patterns! I absolutely love watching sewists like Bernadette and Minji Lee who are very precise and methodical about their drafting and sewing techniques, but that is not the kind of sewing that I could see myself doing.
While I do understand people being disappointed that they can't just download a copy of what you did and make it exactly, I think you're encouraging more creativity and critical thinking - in a way that is accessible to people without a fashion degree - that is much needed in the sewing world on social media.
THANK YOU!!!! I happen to be a Sewist! I am an artist that sews and sometimes sells. You have put every feeling and experience that I have had as such into such a beautiful and concise package. I too find that it’s so much more practical for me to follow a method rather than a prescribed “pattern”. That being said.. I do kind of come from a long line of sewwwers, so I naturally gained a whole lot of Assumed Knowledge. That’s where things get very grey and blurry in trying to explain to anyone what I actually do. Thank you again! This is super Rad!!!
Really feeling #2. I don't sew much, but I crochet and knit. I wore a top I made out last night and got compliments from all of my friends. They couldn't see any of the mistakes that were glaringly obvious to me. They were just super impressed that I made it!
Also, yes to pockets in everything!
we are our own worst critics. Which is what I tell myself everytime i find a mistake
@@IlorinWaernwe really are! Sometimes I'm okay letting something slide, and sometimes I'm compelled to rip it out and fix it just for my own peace of mind 😂🙄
@@emilyrln Same here - sometimes I start anew and all of my friends "But it looked great!" - well, not in my eyes. And on other occasions I'm "it fits and if someone mentions the mistakes, they can kiss my... whatever".
I’ve got quite an asymmetrical body thanks to, well, genetics and “luck”, so paper patterns have always been impossible to apply to my body. So having a channel that is so loosy goosey with sewing conventions is very helpful. 😊 Thanks, fellow sewist! xoxoxoxo
As someone who watched this while making something I hand-drafted... yeah, I feel all of your points on a personal level and I can't agree more. I think part of the 'stigma' of handmade/homemade that's still hanging on comes from an old-fashioned and in some cases classist disdain for people having sewn things for themselves, as it implied they 'didn't have the money' to get things professionally tailored. Not sure, but I love that we're seeing more people embracing those of us who make things. I'll also happily admit that, while I get patterns to help me draft my pieces, 9 times out of 10 I don't actually read the instructions because that's just how my brain works.
Honestly I've never really been a huge fan of the word "sewist" but I think you've just convinced me that it is, in fact, the best option in most cases. Thanks for that ❤
Ditto. When I started watching all these sewing channels, I was busy asking why all these people have made a frou-frou word when we had a perfectly good and available sewer to use. (I do agree that tailor, dressmaker, and even seamstress imply a certain level of professionalism not inherent in the process for someone doing it for the love of the thing as an amateur does. I am very familiar with seamstress from reading old books.). When I get to the point where I have actual things to wear, I will still use sewer but will not complain about sewist.
I agree that to me, I feel like tailor and seamstress imply some professionalism. However, I also became aware that the two terms can describe different methods of sewing.
I know a woman who is a tailor.
I am nonbinary, but I was taught by seamstresses, so I am a seamstress, or more specifically an alterations specialist.
Sewist is a nicer word, to me, than sewer, and I love that it's got nonbinary implications. I don't use it for myself because I do work professionally as a seamstress, or costumer.
I like to use terms that are historically gendered as job titles more than a way of folding gender into hobbies. But I do understand that it's not a normal viewpoint. 😅
There was a person in the Sewing Bee a couple of years ago who free-handed most of her clothes. It was how she was taught, and it felt like the most natural way for her. I do think that's the term she used: "freehand." I tend to use "sewer" in speech most of the time, but I also hesitate to use it in writing, mostly because *I* was so confused the first few times I read it. This business of expecting a pattern from something you made for yourself is the height of entitlement. I can't tell you how many people ask me this regularly regarding my knitting projects. I use measurements, a scrawled drawing, and a spreadsheet to help me track where I am in a project. That is a far cry from a graded pattern spanning 16 sizes (which is what is expected these days), when I've designed something based on very specific gauges, with stitch patterns that fit vertically and horizontally into a specific amount of knitted "canvas."
It's like you're a home cook that loves making food and showing beautiful pictures of what they've made but can't offer a recipe because they don't have one. They just open their cupboards and see what inspires them, they have a basic understanding of what goes together and enough basics on hand to make something work. This is an incredibly useful skill to have and no one would be bothered by it. I've seen cooking TH-camrs where this is their thing that they are trying to share/teach people how to do because it's so useful. But it also feels like a much harder skill to develop than just following a recipe. I feel I can relate because I hate cooking unless I have a recipe and all the ingredients listed, but I can also "self draft" most items of clothing and will more often than not do that because I can't find a pattern that is exactly what I want or it's quicker than trying to find one.
I like the word Sewist.
"You sew, you must sell," is very engrained in modern crafts and I personally have had a huge struggle with it. So I love that there are more out there who feel the same way I do, that you can just create to create.
I sometimes make things because I want to make it....not that I'm ever gonna wear or use it....
Yeah, mostly I just love making things and don't want to deal with selling them, even if there's a market for it. I make Christmas and birthday presents for family and friends, baby quilts, and leave moneymaking to my job (graphic artist, so still art lol).
I can't imagine sewing anything more complicated than furishiki cloth to sell. The amount of money you'd need to recoup selling home made garments would put them beyond most people's budgets.
I have a friend who insists on peppering me with what I should make to sell with my hobbies. A couple days ago I was telling him about a sewing table I wanted to save for I showed him the price. His first reaction was "oh my God that's so much for a table. You know at some point it will be impossible to make this a viable hobby to make money from." And then I laughed and laughed. Next I told him how much the machine my mil almost bought at a quilt show. Mid arm quilting machine on sale for 7k. But I also said "look sewing, or any of my other hobbies was never about saving money only my sanity"
I agree. I don't sell. I might make something for people I love. That's it.
Uhh nice, this has already made my day.
Also I'm gonna call "mistakes and trying things out is totally fine, even if it doesn't turn out great"
Ok.... you may have convinced me to hand draft. My mom used to (lovingly) tease me because as a child I NEVER used a pattern and I had a series of big unwearable failures that discouraged me. So she, an analytical direction- lover convinced me to go back to patterns where I had some modest success (but not enough success to bring back the joy of sewing). I think I'm ready to go back to my roots! You make it look so do-able!
A seamstress is a lady of ...negotiable affection in Ankh Morpork. Sewist IS the best available term for any kind of people who sew. Also, 100% agree on patterns. I love patterns. I collect them (mostly in digital form - they use up less space that way) and use them more often than not for my garments, at least as a point for jumping off - but if I was never allowed to use another pattern ever again, I'd still be making clothes. And I love your attitude towards homemade clothes and mistakes. I'm proud of every thing I sew, even the utter failures that are never going to fit an actual living human - and unless it falls into the latter category, I WILL wear it. Maybe not to work, but that's a different matter. I have to appear at least somewhat like I know what I'm doing there...
I have a huge collection of patterns, but Itoo use them as a starting point for the design and fit I'm after. The one part I always use is the armscye, and I at least start with the sleeve made to fit that pattern. I once swapped a sleeve from one pattern to another, and I couldn't raise my arms! That curve, and how much ease is needed, are not things I'm comfortable "winging". Lol.
"mistakes don't make it a failure" THAT'S something to put on my wall 🙌
I like the term sewist because I don’t just sew clothes, I also make quilts and sew some crafts. It is all encompassing and fits perfectly. My hobby doesn’t fit into a any one word category.
I've been a loyal fan who is not interested in the discourse, I just love watching people create, and being inspired. Because of this channel, I've started embroidery, I am planning to sew my outfit for a concert in November, and I am constantly trying to get back into older hobbies (sketching, painting, quilting). Thank you for all your hard work and I always look forward to your next videos!!!
That's awesome! I wish you much pleasure and fulfillment from your creative activities 😊
Oooooh I agree with you so much!!! I've argued recently with people close to me about the "sewing=BUSINESS" problem. I sew because I enjoy it. I make and mend other things for people because I will forever enjoy their look of glee and how they immediately put the thing on and strike a pose. This is a fun hobby for me. I don't charge my friends for it because I do it in my spare time and give no guarantee of a finish time. Not everything has to be turned into a commodity or job!!!
"Freehanding" is great, but I love the idea of "Wong-it patterning"
I like the word Sewist. It feels more contemporary than seamstress. Seamstress sounds like I’m sitting in a rocker by the fire, hand sewing bodices and crinolines for fancy ladies who live in big houses. Tailor sounds like I make men’s suits. (Nope) Sewer sounds like I just do drudge work in a factory. Plus I hate how it looks in writing, too! Dressmaker sounds like I sew for other people, and I hate to sew for other people lol .
Sewist wins! 😊
I just say I’m a sewer
Hahaha I call myself a seamstress and that image you painted is hilarious. I'm glad you found a word you like to call yourself.
Seamstress actually is a shorthand form of sewing mistress or a seamer.
@@ebunni5862 I apologise you are not obnoxious, I thought you were commenting on my post and being rude about it. Sorry again.
I have now removed the post.
Heres my tip for people intimidated by patters, get a pattern drafting book and a good base pattern.
Literally most of making new patterns is either slashing things to make darts and gathers, or rotating darts, or altering the hems
Wow, I discovered something about myself inadvertently when you were talking about mistakes. You said you can make a mistake, and i was nodding along. Then you said you don't have to fix your mistakes, and my body literally recoiled from my tablet. Never realized i was so adamant about fixing my mistakes that the thought of not is a shock to my system. I'll have to examine that more and where it comes from and if it works in my life still. Thanks 😊
Perfectionism is a big problem that keeps me from getting a lot of stuff done. FlyLady has some useful thoughts on subject.
Thank you Charlie. I agree with you to a large degree. I’ve been sewing over 50 years and would never consider myself a ‘professional’. My go to answer for being asked by non family for mending services is ‘ Sorry, I sew not mend’ with a smile. After years of sewing with patterns I’ve found the freedom of…self drafting, patternless sewing, winging it!
I've been making skirts for myself since spring 2021 when my workplace was still mostly WFH and I needed something other than knitting and crochet to keep my hands busy. Plus I needed some brightness in my life (we all coped in our own ways). My first several skirts weren't the best, but I learned with each one. And after 3 years and 15 skirts, I still make mistakes but I've learned to accept that I'm not perfect and that's ok. I've reused some of the fabric for other things. And I like those things a lot more than the original.
I purchased a few patterns from Stephanie (your collab was fantastic!), including a 1970s coat. I made it precisely as the pattern said and it's fantastic-- fits perfectly and is a genuine joy to wear. I get compliments all the time. I decided to make a smaller one, in lighter fabric. It's beautiful. I'm 100% proud of my work. But it's about 3" too small across the chest, so I can't wear it. At all. But, like you with the bishop sleeve, I realized what I should have done once it was all put together (and I was NOT going to rip out all my hard work). I'm going to give it away to whomever wants it because it deserves to be worn, even if it isn't by me.
I also use "sewist" as a gender-neutral and all-encompassing term. I knew a professional seamstress who worked with a boutique dressmaker. I am never going to be at their skill levels, because I don't want to. And Bernadette and Nicole are far closer to 'tailor' than anyone else I "know".
100% on the pockets. My early skirts didn't have them, only had 1, or they were far too small (I need to make your purse pockets in my next skirt).
I also get the "Why don't you make more [thing] and sell them?" My answer is always "This is my coping mechanism for the stress that never ends. No." Generally, the response is an understanding nod and "Good for you", but I do get the persistent ones and I just thank them for the compliment and change the subject.
Since you use "winging it" in every episode I think "freehand" is the closest and best term for your approach to sewing.
Thank you for this video.
🧡
Yeah, I create for joy, not for interacting with customers 😂 and I'm super uncomfortable putting a monetary value on my work.
I'm so glad to have found your channel! Paper patterns are a big barrier to garment making for me (well, that, and I don't have a sewing machine), so learning that plenty of people don't use them is a relief! I also really like the term 'sewist', as 'fiber artist' or 'textile artist' aren't specific enough; to me, those are more general terms and could mean sewing, quilting, knitting, or crocheting. Those are all very different skills, to say the least. Anyway, it's good to come across someone making garments who is cut from the same 'F**k around and find out' cloth as I am, lol!
When I'm crocheting something, if I'm not consulting anyone's TH-cam videos at all (the only crochet resource I use), I shrug and I say "there's no pattern, I'm just making it up as I go."
If what I'm crocheting is directly based on someone else's work, I say "I found this cool thing on so and so's TH-cam channel but I figured I wanted it longer/shorter/slimmer/fuller/drapey-er/whatever so I'm making it up as I go."
I can't figure out how to read knitting patterns, so I get the general gist of what's being done, and then make it up as I go along. As a result, I have a sontag that hangs down to my heels (I had to buy more yarn TWICE), but that's ok.
I'm baffled that people are up in arms about you not doing patterns. They're SO MUCH work to make! and hard to do properly! I think freehand works pretty well to get the idea across. That may be because I have an art background though. I actually had managed to miss sewist until I started watching your videos, and have been actively working on folding it in to my vocabulary. Thanks for being such a positive yet practical breath of fresh air, Charlie. You're awesome
My mom made my dresses i wore in my early elementary photos. I like to say they were homemade with love.
As someone who has been sewing for over 55 years; I love seamstress and seamster! And I agree fully on dressmaker/tailor as terms for actual professional persons. I have done that job as well. And regarding pockets…OMG, YES! They can be snuck in creatively in almost every garment. Keep going and learning.
I feel you when you say you do not want to sell patterns. I am not really a fan of sewing patterns, but I am visual learner so it is very helpfull to see a sketch of the cut out shapes and a couple of notes like this mesurement was 1/4 of my bust. These types of posts are so very hard to find and are so incredibly helpfull as a baseline for free handing so many similar things!
*JUST* finished a knit skirt for the first time about 3 hours ago. I couldn't figure out the knit waistband, how it was supposed to go on. Then, I suddenly remembered a recent video of yours, when you said something about "trying it on before finishing it" so I did, and the waistband needed to be 2 inches smaller. Watching your 'just go for it' attitude, I was able to tell myself the fabric I was working with was only about $4 for 3 yards, so I adopted your 'just go for it' attitude, and with nerves dangling, I went for it! My hem is wonky, I cut a big split down the side because I forgot to mark the beginning of the serging line, and my serger had a snack, lol!
But I did it! And my husband loves it!
I Found your channel though stephanie canada and i love watching your videos you put a real personality to your videos and you are good at your gift dress making continue to do a good job and continue loving your gift and spreading joy on your channel
I vote for “I don’t draft a pattern, I free hand the design on the fabric, and adjust as needed.”
I do the same thing.. I taught myself pattern drafting, but I don’t enjoy making mock ups.. so I started drafting onto the “real” fabric, and found I really enjoy free-handing the whole garment together! I agree, it takes much less work than drafting onto paper, making all the adjustments, and then seam ripping it all apart to copy that out onto new pattern paper. It was a headache.
Also, I really enjoy your videos! Thank you for making them
I think what you usually do is more 'Draping' than drafting.
Yes, draping is on the body or a dress form, drafting is flat patterns.
Personally I go by Seamstress, partially cause I do actually do work on alterations for wedding gowns, but I LOVE the idea for Sewist.
One thing that I think about when someone even uses a pattern or creates one or free-handed one is that there is often a tailoring step somewhere in there. Either while copying the pattern, or after its put together or modifying in every step as you go. Patterns often are not, as you mentioned, one size fits all. Bodies are all different. Which makes clothes patterns more like a template than a pattern. I wish there were better words to explain these tools so I hope this makes sense. ie: A stuffed animal? Pattern. Crochet doily? Pattern. A dress? Template. But either way, good luck Charlie!
Also a general fiber artist (sewist, crocheter, embroidery-ist?, etc) I just wing so much that doing it with clothes and such isn't scary in the normal sense. I am afeared bc there's so much fabric?? So much?? In clothes. It's an investment in a way that I don't currently like but am working on.
I’m a sewist and proud of it. I make mistakes. I have patterns I love, some I struggle with and sometimes I don’t use a pattern or make my own. My clothes are “me made” and I love hearing complements and then saying I made it myself. I put labels in the clothes I make that proudly state “made with love by FayeWW”
Tomorrow I will be wearing “me made” clothes to my own wedding. My partner will be wearing something I made too. They are beautiful!!
I like me made rather than handmade or home made (providing I actually made it). I like to shout that I actually made it
Me-made is so cute!! I love that ❤
I LOVED discovering the word "sewist" on your channel. I work for a nonprofit and do the social media for a refugee women's sewing program called Sew For Hope. And seamstress is hard to say and I had the same problems with "sewer" that you did. In the end, while I usually use the words student or graduate more often, I felt like "sewist" opened unambiguous opportunities for me to reference volunteers, students, and even those who like to sew in our audience and support group. Thanks!
The overarching community btw...is fiber arts. It includes sewists and knitters and tatters and weavers and spinners and everyone that works with fibers (plant & animal) to make stuff!
And we will always be seen as something other than an artist. I had an ex send me a text asking how I was. I told him I was working on knitting a hat, or a hand embroidery, I can't remember. He responded "Nice, I love a little DIY."
He's an artist who does pen and ink drawings. What he said to me was the equivalent of me saying "Nice, I love to doodle"
He said that to me over a year ago and I'm still mad about it.
I mean, that would be a great comeback, if you feel the need to interact with the guy or are forced to do so and are feeling spicy 😂
He downplay your highly structured thread art...(and for the record, I've tried to embroider...it was a disaster, I'm working up the courage to try again later) you can ask how his latest doodle, scribble, or scrawl is going? It's just DIY wall decoration, right?
I call my tea and coffee toasted leaf water and burned bean water, respectively, so we can re-name even things we like 😜
@helenaalexandra4197 Oh, please try hand embroidery again! There are some great YT videos on it. I also never tie knots, because why?! My first stitch of a new thread I always go through the loop on the back to secure it, leaving about a 1 inch tail on the back. With the next few stitches, I include the little tail in the loop on the back to make fully sure it's secured. To finish off, I run my needle a couple of times through the loop of thread and then run the needle through a good portion of the threads on the underside to secure the end and snip close. My "butts" are always neat and secure. Charlie has wonderful videos on the different stitches. You can do this, I promise!
Also, that ex has seen me work on a quilt and knows the time, energy, and skill it takes. I was gobsmacked by his comment about "DIY". Dude, I'll DIY your face!
in knitting and crochet circles, it's frequently considered bad luck to finish a project with no mistakes. you need a few errors in the project to trap/confuse evil spirits or (it varies) allow your own soul to escape the threads you've put so much of yourself into. it's very superstitious but it's also something I've found very comforting as I work on a big project and notice an error ten rows back that I do NOT want to go back and fix. it's there on purpose now. to let the ghosts out.
Also to the Sewist vs other words debate. I am not an englsich native but I assumed sewist the English equivalent to the German term Näher*in (somebody who sews) in contrast to seamstress/dressmaker/tailor German "Schneider*in" somebody who sews as a job
But maybe I'm wrong on that xD
I think it very much lines up that way!
I am the same. Sewist just feels like it should be the direct translation to NäherIn.
Hooray for SEWIST! I LOVE the combination of "sew-artist" Because I am definitley both! I also have experienced the vast assumption that if you sew, you also sell. I make many many quilts, but I do not sell them. People often ask me where I sell my quilts and bags, I don't. I use them, or give them as gifts.
I think the issue people sometimes have with Home made clothing goes back to the good old days where you have a distinct rich v's poor . many people had to make there own clothes were as people with money could get shop brought ones. so you got the snobbery around home made clothes sadly .
I think this is correct but I think it's funny how that perception is wrong. If a king or queen wanted something like a dress they didn't go buy it they had it custom designed. Even now celebrities often have their gown or suit made for them foe special events IE the "who are you wearing tonight?" So even though the common perception is just as you said but in reality it is the opposite.
Ive called myself a sewist for years! I actually mostly make quilts now but when i said "quilter" i thought of someone just sewing the quilted pattern into a finished quilt but there is so much more to a quilt than that. And as far as patterns go, im with you, no pattern ive ever seen has fit correctly (picture short, big boned, high waist lol). Ive been able to fiqure out how to alter them for myself if i decide to use one but not how to explain to anyone just exactly how i did it. So when my teen granddaughter decided to learn to sew she and my daughter, who never wanted to learn herself, ran into a snag. My grand is 6'tall, busty, and loves vintage patterns which we all know dont fit anyone so the only thing i could tell her was to "wing it" and subscribe to your channel and pay attention to your "self drafting" She says NOW it makes sense! So thank you for inspiring a new sewist to make it her own instead of just giving up altogether. She has now started designing her own garments to fit her unique style. Thank you. Cant wait for your next video. Cant get enough Charlie!
Sewist is absolutely, by far, the best word for a person who sews as a creative outlet! Most of the other terms imply a level of professionalism that I would not feel comfortable claiming. That being said, if someone asks me if I’m a seamstress, I usually just say yes in order to avoid further conversation 🤷🏼♀️
Quilter is another label I just won’t claim because while I am quite accomplished at patchwork, I am uninterested in following the multitude of “rules” for making “quilts”. Patchwork blankets are my style 😉
Regarding patterns, I am absolutely terrified of diy for garments 🤣. I will break down and try it again someday but previous attempts have been ridiculously horrid.
Patchwork on the other hand … give me some graph paper, colored pencils and a little time … I can figure out most basic or intermediate designs. I wouldn’t spend money on a pattern unless I just absolutely cannot figure out how it goes together. I follow a lot of quilting groups on Facebook because I truly appreciate the art form but it boggles my mind every time I see a picture of a fairly simple design and 50 requests for the pattern🤦🏼♀️
I do use the term quilter for myself, though I ignore the quilt police rules! I agree with you about simple patchwork patterns, and often just "see and sew" something. Occasionally I buy a pattern to support a fellow artist, but mostly I wing it. And I quilt almost exclusively with upcyc l ef clothing, so all the "you need X fat quarters" instructions are irrelevant to me.
Wait, there are rules for quilts?? 😳 I just make them the way I want… I do occasionally use patterns, but I'm more likely to just arrange rectangles into color gradients, with the very _very_ occasional triangle or star or whatever 😂
The main reason I don't use patterns (anymore) is because they need adjusting anyway to fit well. So now I'm learning to draft patterns from my own body measurements and it is incredibly rewarding and satisfying to do! 😊
I love using patterns. I don't follow them exactly, but they are nice to use as a guideline. I'm not real comfortable or confident enough to self draft. 😂
I used seamstress for many years. My movement to sewist has largely been the result of my exploration of gender, and finding that the very female-coded term doesn't actually fit me comfortably anymore. So thanks for thinking of us non-binary folks
I'm from Texas (40 yrs), but have lived in Northern California (20 yrs) & you were the first person I ever heard say "sewist" instead of "seamstress". Even my computer is telling me that I misspelled the word. LOL I mean, it makes sense, since seamstress has a female connotation to it & we all know that many men also sew.....I had just never heard it before. Thank you for explaining it to me. Muchly appreciated. Much respect & love from East Texas
Thank you!!!! I try to avoid videos " You Must do this!" "10 things every sewist needs" "10 things you don't need"🙄 I guess we can all take away what works for us, but I agree with and appreciate everything you shared today!! Well said
Yes to Sewist. I think in the past women sewed and we didn’t need a word for it unless they were professional. Now we do need a word for it. So Sewist totally works for me. Hadn’t thought about the artist component but I like it!!
Sat here sewing a simple two-piece top without a pattern listening to you talk about how you don't need patterns and feeling very satisfied about it. It was interesting hearing you talk about the history of not wanting to be seen wearing homemade clothes, because I remember my mum telling me once about how, when she was a teenager, another girl making a snide comment about homemade clothes being bad and for poor people, while my mum sat there in her homemade dress.
I learned to sew from my mom, who majored in home ec in college in the 1950's. Was taught all the steps, just like you were. I haven't sewn any clothes for myself in a while, but made a fancy purse for myself for a friend's wedding last fall. No pattern or instructions. Made a ton of mistakes but figured it out, and it turned out great!
I sewed Halloween costumes for my kids, & would tweak a commercial pattern to get the look they wanted. A few were totally self-drafted. Never got a negative comment about sewing my own things. People were more likely to praise my work.
Anyway, I'm all for the term "Sewist"!!
Regarding patterns vs. self-drafting:
Speaking for myself, I learned to sew using patterns as a kid, and I've only just in the last, like, 10 years or so (and I'm 43) gotten into drafting.
Part of that, sure, is because I'm a recovering perfectionist and am still working on that healthy relationship with "failure," but another part of it is not having had the bandwidth to try to start from scratch. Having a pattern to use, at the very least, as a jumping-off point took away that initial barrier of getting started because I didn't have to try to pull the right shapes out of the aether. Executive dysfunction is a harsh mistress. 😅
I'm impressed by your ability to wing your way through things. I'm starting to get more comfortable with that notion, but you can pry my bajillion mockups from my cold dead fingers 😎
When you talk about using a pattern vs not, I was reminded of my Home Ec classes in Junior High. The only store bought patterns we used were for formal gowns! Everything else was make your own pattern or mark your measurements on the fabric and cut it out without a pattern!
It breaks my heart that you felt the need to defend yourself to unkind comments. It saddens me that anyone could be so heartless but especially someone in the sewing community. I have been sewing my wardrobe for over 50 years and I cannot wait for your next video to post. I truly enjoy watching you have so much fun with your sewing. It doesn't matter what name you or anyone else uses to describe you and what you do. You are a delight, my lady! Unload all the garbage anytime. I will be here for you. I've got ya!
Sewist was new to me until recently. I like it because it encompasses more than other terms. Seamstress is someone who sews seams, dressmaker makes dresses etc, tailor implies a high degree of expertise and training. Sewist covers all of these things and also embroidery, quilting, bag making, curtains, cushions and anything else you can make with needle and thread.
There is a single word for variations on a theme. That word is iterations. As for patterns, they are just like blue prints for buildings. They might be needed for sharing the plan with other builders (sewists) or possibly legal reasons, but really the person who did the designing could build (sew) the item in question from the visions in his or her head.
I love how real you are. Keep bringing us your real sewing and embroidery adventures.
As you have mentioned you have followers from all around...here is a little bit of my experience growing up in Brazil...in the 60s and 70s rich families would hire a seamstress to come to their home and make them their clothes. My grandmother was one of those hired, and she made a life for herself. Time passed and big malls arrived and these days no one even bother to own a sewing machine in Brazil. As my grandmother had never finished the primary school everything she knew about sewing was self-taught. She would buy a fashion magazine, choose one of the dresses, trace the pattern that was in the magazine insert and then make all the size adjustments by herself. I grew up with clothes made by her. To answer your terminology question....when I see you drawing the pattern and then transferring it to the fabric without a paper pattern to guide you it just reminds me of my grandmother...if she was making something she was familiar with or if she was comfortable enough she would just cut as she saw fit. It is a skill and you should not feel any less for "skipping " the pattern. Something else she would do...she kept her self drawn patterns , because she used durable paper, and she had them by the name of the person who she had made ir for...never by sizes...all this to give you a huge praise for being brave enough to create your own technique and make sewing a pleasure not a burden....wearing something made with love and care is always a great thing...
Your thoughts on patterns remind me of Mary Brooks Picken, and what she delightfully once termed "un-patterns". She was an author of a whole bunch of sewing books, pamphlets and magazine articles from the 1910's through the 1950's. While she absolutely worked with patterns (and had a book on altering them) a lot of her work is akin to what you do; taking some measurements, drawing some shapes on fabric, cutting them out, and sewing them. My absolute favorite book of hers is Sewing Magic (1955). It is nothing but instructions and diagrams to fold, draw, cut and sew clothes. It has my go to wrap skirt, a really cute bolero and some dresses that consist of tubes with slits cut in them. I highly recommend it.