Here at the Sewcialists, we explore and amplify the voices of sewists from all walks of life. Everyone has a story to tell, and over the course of our “Who We Are” series, we hope to explore how identity does (or doesn’t!) affect your sewing and participation in the online community.
So far in the series, we’ve explored age, height, health, being an LGTBQ sewist and intersectionality. You can find the whole series here!
Now, we’re ready to put out a call for contributions from a few more categories of sewists:
- Plus size, curvy, people of size, however you identify yourself and whatever term you prefer! Do you struggle to find patterns you love in the right size? Are the styles offered in your style what you want to wear? Has sewing affected the way you see your body? I was a proud editor of the Curvy Sewing Collective for a year and a half, and I think it’s time the plus size experience was not just shared within our community, but also made visible to sewists of all sizes!
- Does sewing benefit your mental health? It’s a big part of how I manage my anxiety, and I know I’m not the only one. How does sewing help you? This is a very personal topic, and if you prefer to share your story anonymously, that’s always ok.
- Did you learn to sew from other people in your family, or are you the first to sew? Many of us learned from grandmothers, mothers or aunts… but many others learned at school, from the internet, or in classes. We’d love to hear your experiences of passing on skills between generations, or teaching yourself a skill that is new to your family. Does how you learn to sew affect your sense of identity as a sewist?
If you identify as any of the above and would like to share your perspective in a community like this one, send in 1-3 paragraphs to sewcialists@gmail.com. If you feel passionately about any of these topics and would like to write a stand-alone post yourself, please email us an outline of what you’d like to say.
In the mean time, we’d love to hear in the comments if one (or all) of these topics resonate with you! Sharing our unique experiences helps us grow stronger as a community, so all voices are welcome. You can also join our community by participating in our quarterly sewing theme months, like February’s #SewStripes, or follow us here on the blog and on Instagram!
Thank you so much for all the amazing posts you do, I have been inspired and e-mailed you my ideas.
Thanks so much, Emma! I’ll get back to your email soon! 😉
I actually fit all three! I’m a petite, curvy lady, who was taught how to sew by my Grandma and Mom, and I’m a clinical mental health counselor who uses sewing as a way to cope with both my own anxiety, and as a way to deal with the stress of my job. I’m trying to think of which one I identify with the most and I think it is probably the mental health part. I think hobbies are one of the most important ways we can connect both with others and ourselves!
You emailed us, right? (I’m just trying to match names to usernames in my head…) I can only imagine the amount of stress you must carry home from work – I’m glad sewing helps you with selfcare!
I did email you guys! Twinflower Fancies would have been the email.
I grew up when home ec was required in grades 7,8 and 9, one semester of cooking and one of sewing each year. I didn’t like cooking but I hated sewing. I didn’t know anyone who sewed. The worst part was that we had to sew and wear our eighth grade graduations dress. Fast forward eight years and my husband and I moved into a student apartment with no curtains on the kitchen windows. I borrowed a machine to make a casing and a hem. Was told I could keep the machine for a while because the owner had a new baby. Made myself some shift dresses and it was fun. After a year we moved to a very small town and my husband gave me a used machine for Christmas. There was a woman in the church who had a degree in clothing and textiles who answered any questions I had and I was hooked. 50+ years I’m still sewing.
What a fantastic entry into sewing!!! And so nice that your family and community were your support as you realised that sewing was actually a passion! 😉 Shoot us an email if you want to include your story in one of our posts.