Where is selfish seamstress

Some people shop or watch TV or write or take pictures or, or, or…. They are just not my thing. My hobbies are running and sewing. Both good for ME. Sorry not sorry for the ramble here! Thanks again Gillian for yet another thought provoking post.

Love it! Not cool!!! It would cost you a fortune to buy RTW as sharp as what you make yourself. Would spending so much family income on clothing be a less selfish option? Glad your family has your back though — they are clearly all really proud of what you do! I would love to sew more for kids, but they get SO.

Gotta do stuff for yourself too! You always have such interesting discussions on your blog Gillian! I love some of the hashtags sewingforsanity ilikesewing sewwhatyoulove happysewing. I mainly sew for myself though I also like sewing for others, mainly because my wardrobe s are full and I just love to sew. Making my own clothes allows me to build a well fitting, long lasting wardrobe instead of buying many many things trying to get something that fits.

The guilt that gets pushed on SAHMs seems really intense! Especially with the advent of mommy bloggers who are by nature presenting just a manicured part of their lives… yikes. No one can live up to that! Same reason I occasionally enjoy makeup blogs, until I suddenly start feeling worse about my appearance…. So I never use it myself, because it would be ridiculous. Hehehe — that makes me giggle. Huh, interesting discussion. Sewing is part of my persona and while I can be selfish about some things, sewing has always been a creative outlet and, at times, a lifeline.

I figure a happy mom is a good mom, so everyone needs some personal time in some form! As it happens, I spent the morning sewing for other people too! Your husband is lucky though — the best my husband has had from my sewing machine is some underwear and a blanket! Would I call myself selfish for shipping for needed clothing? I do divide my sewing time between stuff for me and stuff for my kids and others.

I like the sewwhatyoulove. I could pretty much use that for everything I make. Kids clothes seem like a mixed pleasure. Small with limited fitting? Quickly outgrown? Uh, no thanks! We discussed this briefly and I just read all your 51 comments because this is so interesting to me. I love word and word play and communication my BA in writing has to be useful at some point! I want to live in a place when women and men take pride in taking care of ourselves.

The stereotype is women are nurturers and the pressure is to take care of others needs first. This applies to sewing, wether you have kids or a pet of a house or none of that at all. Maybe I take this to a farther political level than is meant, and I know the selfish sewing week is truly to help instigate a sewist to do for themselves, some need help without guilt or obligation and enjoy the camaraderie of sewing for themselves in a group.

I was shocked to read that some people are actually insulted and critiqued for sewing for themselves! This pushes it even further in my mind that we should call sewing for ourselves something positive and affirming to help the world around our sewing community understand the value of doing for oneself, what one loves most to do. I completely agree with your passion about the topic!

We all start to think of ourselves they was we are described, so why trash talk ourselves, however gently? I wish I could get over wondering what people think of me! I can totally see how it would be more difficult for you given your profession though. I never really thought about it before. The definition of selfish has a negative connotation. I guess I just sort of considered it said tongue in cheek.

Interesting conversation here! For those like you or I, who sew mostly for ourselves but often for others, it just seems odd. Now that my step-kids are grown and off at school, I have more free time, and sewing is where I put myself first. I still struggle with it, my husband has been bugging me for a shirt, and I eventually want to make my boys something, but there are so many things I want to make for myself first!

Plus I am nervous about fitting someone else. It seems like such a horribly selfish way to think about a major life decision, but there it is!

I love my life, I love my husband, and I love my free time. I always feel like in our society being childless is a statement that has to be explained and justified, since having kids is far more the norm! I totally agree Gillian. It was a tough decision for me too! And I hate having to justify it to people — I chose not to have kids for the same reasons.

I love my husband and we both love our life! I know I would have been a good Mom and that John and my kids would have been great — but we decided that we liked our life and the freedom we experienced as his children grew up they are all off at university now. I think sometimes words become used so much that their meaning gets watered down. Super interesting post,Gillian! My few friends and I who do gift one another have agreed that it needs to be experiences or consumables, nothing to add to our current stuff.

My sympathies. We have all been there--lots of work, cost, and time and no thanks for it. Seems like people are addicted to throwaway "fashion," except for quilts or really tedious home dec stuff. I loved the Selfish Seamstress and thank her for her legacy. My own wardrobe deserves lots more work! D o any of you remember the posts of the Selfish Seamstress? If you've been reading sewing blogs as long as I have, you would miss her as much as I do.

She was a fabulous exceptional seamstress and had a witty sense of humor that left you panting for her next project and post This past year or so, after moving cross county to be with my recently-widowed sister, the pressure to sew for her friends and the new people I meet became intense.

Although the Selfish Seamstresses posts had become infrequent following her marriage and move to Europe , I sought out her blog just to purchase one of the coffee cups she offered with her original haiku poems that politely discourage the begging. The one I chose says, "Sew something for you? It's not that I don't have time I just don't want to. In spite of her blog's inactivity, all of her items are still available and can be purchased to support St.

Jude's Hospital for Children, and include a variety of tote bags, tshirts and customizable mugs with similarly unique haiku. Check them out I had gotten pretty good at dissuading the begging babble that surrounds accomplished sewists, and had gotten really good at politely rebuffing their offers of payment, no matter what the project. This holiday season was very discouraging, though. Because of a very limited budget, I chose to make presents for my immediate family and the results reminded me of the reason I had refrained from sewing for anyone except myself.

The niece I had made things for all her life now had an opinion and seemed not to like what I created I lengthened each 3 inches, the horn buttons came from China via an EBay seller and I quilted the inside lining.

I was really pleased with the long-haired fur, which had been ordered from a website: imstuffedfur. This niece has lupus and recently had knee surgery, so she needs to keep her joints warm as she performs her work-related duties. I thought this was going to be a great present. I was too far in, too much time had been spent, too much money had been invested in the project. I had only enough time to finish it before the holiday, and no time to rethink the process.

Did I have enough money to purchase whatever she would say she wanted? I just hoped she would be gracious, and watched if she keyed on my sister's reaction My sister didn't goo and gush over her gift either, in spite of the effort and details I put into the project; she sews as well, so has knowledge of how time-consuming my efforts were. I made the jacket from a plush deep purple fleece.

Not sure if she liked it either, beside it being extremely soft and warm. I don't know if there's an English version of it though.

Sorry, German is my "first language" for sewing! What kind of machine do you use? I have a Husqvarna Platinum that I got used off of eBay. It is my first "nice" machine, and I adore it! What do you like about it? I'm actually not a connoisseur when it comes to sewing machines, and it's the only machine I currently use. I love that the sewing action is quiet and smooth. The stitching is lovely and even, and the machine also has a great coverstitch that I use frequently.

All of the feet for it are also really nicely designed and engineered, particularly the invisible zipper foot.

Do you use a serger? If so, why do you like it? I don't, but it's on my list! How long did it take you to develop your sewing space? I think it's a bit of a stretch to say that I "developed" my sewing space. It just sort of crept into whatever nooks and crannies it could find in our little apartment over time, until it took over the whole place like kudzu! But I'll happily report back in a few months in our next home, where I hope to have something more inspiring to show you :.

Come along, dear readers. They will not disappoint. And as an additional lure, next week, there's a giveaway. Is that exciting? I think so. Sewing spaces: The Selfish Seamstress unselfishly shares with us. Posted on 2 Sep The Blue Gardenia. September 2, Once again, I am shamelessly releasing my inner voyeur to peek inside someone else's sewing area. But I'll happily report back in a few months in our next home, where I hope to have something more inspiring to show you : Next week, Sunni, the Cupcake Goddess and Elle of It's a Sewing Life open their doors to us.

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