I have not been particularly productive this last couple of weeks. I have one FO, but I need to finish up another before I get them both photographed and posted.
Anyways, I’ve missed you all, so I thought I’d just do a quick no-sew post and ask the question who do you blog for, or why do you blog?
For me I guess the answer is ultimately I blog for myself – I certainly don’t do it because I think that people need to be able to access my ramblings, or that I am in any way contributing to the sum of the world’s knowledge, but if I manage to entertain a couple of folk along the way then that’s got to be a bonus.
Basically, having been an avid reader of sewing blogs for some time I wanted to engage with that community; I wanted to have an online presence, so that I could join in with discussions, ask opinions and advice (I have no sewing friends IRL) and should there ever be a meet-up or event in a time and place convenient to me I would feel I could legitimately turn up.
When I started blogging I also thought it would be a good way to share what I have made with people I know; much of my sewing stash has been gifts from friends and family and they often don’t get to see what I have made, so I reckoned that this would be a way to let people see that their presents do get used (eventually). However, once I got going I found I was embarrassed to share with friends and therefore very few people I actually know follow this blog. In fact when I found out that a couple of friends do follow (Hi girls!) for a couple of days I felt quite self-conscious; it is one thing to talk bollocks when strangers are reading, but quite another when you know that people you’ll be seeing soon are also logging on. (once I got over myself I decided to be chuffed that my girls are reading along – if they occasionally think I am a bit up my own arse, they’ve been occasionally thinking that for the last 30 years anyway!)
I was certainly not prepared for how invested I would become and how quickly. I feel a real excitement when somebody new starts following my blog – and I have found some great new blogs that way. I also feel a true connection with people who comment regularly (and am delighted that people comment at all!). Not to mention the schoolgirlish giddiness when visited by someone whose blog I have long admired…
I have to remember, though, that I do blog for fun and for my own benefit. Those wordpress stats can become a rod to beat yourself with if you let them – this blog is not my work, so there is no performance related bonus. It really does not matter one jot if nobody looks for a couple of weeks!
So who do you blog for? Do your family and friends all read along, or do you keep it hidden?
And I can’t post without any pictures, so in true sewing blogger tradition, here’s a kitten:
I’ll hopefully be back with an outfit soon – I’m also doing the Dakota sewalong this month, so I’ll let you know how that is going!
Is it fitting? 
Love the kitten. I’ve only been blogging a short while (two months) and it was similar to your story. I’d been reading sewing blogs and started to comment on a few, and I thought I’ll give it a go. And I blog for…ME! My life is hectic (I have three small children); my house is messy and chaotic (I have three small children); and, I felt depleted of all my energy and fun (again, I have three small children). There seems to be a theme here! But sewing: wow its for me, something I can do fast and which has tangible results. And I’m good at it. The blog is just an extension of the buzz sewing gives me. And I agree: I completely feel connected to you and other bloggers who I’ve never met. Crazy isn’t it? But good crazy.
Hi Louise – I am in awe of how much you manage to create with three small children (see how I picked up on that?) around! My life is hectic, my house messy and my energy depleted and I have no small children (only one very large 44 YO child and a smaller 17 YO pensioner), and I can’t imagine how I would fit anything else in if I had toddlers to deal with!
Hee! You described just how I feel to a Tee! I blog for myself in terms of sorting my projects and having a record of them. And, even the geek research projects I post, I LOVE a good research project, so enjoy relating something to the blogpost and compiling information on it. And, when other people ALSO enjoy it, I’m over the moon with joy! I feel a real kinship and connection and love to interact in the comments section and share ideas and thoughts. Cute kitty, by the way.
I love reading your blog and seeing your projects and hearing about what Kitty is up to. This kitten is Poppy. She owns this house and graciously allows JB and me to live here with her. She can’t decide if she wants to be a supermodel (she will often lounge around striking poses while we look on in admiration – and she won’t get out of bed for less than a handful of treats) or a tiger (when not posing for the camera-phones she will go out, scaring off other cats, dogs and small children and occasionally dragging home her prey… thankfully she has not dragged home a small child yet, but I fear it is only a matter of time!)
Oh my! I’m relatively new to blogging, I’ve taken breaks here and there since then, and I’ve been wondering this question also. Reading this post, you described why I blog perfectly. I love the connection with the sewing community and how everyone is so extremely nice.
I cannot get over how nice the sewing-blogging community is – there is such support and encouragement for everyone. It really is like having a whole bunch of friends you’ve never met!
I get it totally. After stalking so many blogs for the past couple of years, I wanted to connect more with the online community so I started my own blog as well. And I too get all excited when there is a new comment on a post or somebody has started following my blog. But I also like the whole documenting my sewing adventures part of it. I guess people used to have notebooks and diaries, now we have facebook, instagram (I don’t ’cause I have a Windows phone) and blogs.
Hi Wendy! I hardly ever commented on the blogs I stalked before I started writing myself, but it did feel a bit strange to be reading and not engaging (like keeping an eye on other people through facebook without ever posting yourself – which I totally do!). It was joining the Monthly Stitch which finally pushed me into starting up a blog – when I used to read the Sew Weekly I always liked to be able to find out more about the contributors, so it seemed rude not to!
I blog for the same reasons you do- myself! I started because I wanted to write, and what better thing to write about than something you love… and through blogging I was amazed to discover this super wonderful world of other sewing bloggers out there! I am not real consistent nor super focused but I have fun- and actually I have more fun READING and getting ideas from other bloggers- and “meeting” new friends with like interests. That said- my blog is still in the developing stage and I think I know what direction I want to take it in- BUT it will still be for me first to express myself creatively, and ofc I hope I can give other people inspiration and ideas! For the most part my friends and family know I have a blog- but I don’t think any of them follow it. If there is a particular post I want my mom to read I send the link over. Oh- and the biggest competition in my house is between the girls- when a post is about them and their garment they are hoping to knock one of the others off the “views pedestal!” LOL ~Laurie
I love the fact that it gives me the opportunity to write and I think that having a focus is quite important. It still sometimes feels a bit narcissistic – that I somehow think that what I have to say is so important that it has to be available to everyone – but I am sure it would feel more so if I was just blogging about my life in general (as if my diary were of international interest!).
I really want to design my blog properly at some point. I live with a designer, so I should be able to get some help, but it’s a case of us both finding the time…
JB and the girl do both know that I blog, but as far as I am aware they never read it! I do know that JB thinks it is a great thing for me to do, though, as it (and of course the whole sewing thing) is a creative outlet that I was lacking before. The house is not as clean since I started, but I think I am probably more fulfilled!
Hiya. I’ve just begun blogging so who knows if I will keep it up, but like you I don’t have any real life sewing friends and I thought that blogging might encourage me to finish my projects and do a better job on them. In the past I haven’t really kept a record of adjustments I’d made and problems I’d had which isn’t very helpful if I want to re-use a pattern. Like The Nerdy Seamstress said sewing bloggers seem really nice and helpful – not like some of the comments you see on other kinds of blogs. I find it really useful to google search the patterns I am considering making, to see other bloggers versions and hopefully I can add to that resource. Hardly anyone reads my blog, but my boyfriend put it as his home page (despite me pleading otherwise) so I can’t trust those stats anyway!
Hi Naomi! I think you’re quite right – I’ve found it much easier to finish projects (and start them!) since I’ve been documenting them.
Sewing bloggers are just the best! I think in all the blogs and comments I have read – and that is a lot – I have only ever come across a couple of slightly negative comments and they kind of shocked me! (One was a woman complaining about people posting simple or badly made garments online and that she couldn’t understand why other people would then comment positively. The thrust of her argument seemed to be “I am a couture garment maker and I don’t think that home sewists deserve any praise when I am so much better than them!” I found it both shocking and quite funny!)
Your blog is lovely and I hope you do keep it up! (Harry is so adorable as well).
(If anybody else wants to see Naomi’s blog – and Harry – the URL is http://nx44.wordpress.com )
What a great post (and I do love the kitten! Is it yours?)! I completely understand being embarrassed when people in real life find out you blog – only my husband currently knows and I found that very difficult to tell him – but it must be very rewarding to be able to chat to people in real life about what you’ve made! I started my blog for very similar reasons to you – I had originally put a few things up on BurdaStyle when I was in Japan and got lots of encouragement from there. As I’ve never had a sewing lesson and learnt purely from other people’s blogs and Japanese patterns, I guess I really wanted to be part of such a friendly community. For me it’s had quite a big effect as I used to be unable to look in the mirror and I actively avoided having my photo taken. Having the clothes to focus on has made me less uncomfortable about the way I look, and made me more confident which is something I really didn’t expect! I still find photos hard work, but I think it’s taught me how to smile on demand! I really love meeting new people and it’s amazing to be able to chat away to people from the other side of the world! I can’t imagine not having a blog now because it would mean losing touch with so many lovely friends!
I am so happy that blogging is making you more comfortable in yourself – you are so completely gorgeous!
I can’t think of a better way to forge friendships across the world than through a shared interest like sewing / crafting. I love that people will reach out before travel, for advice on shopping or to arrange to meet one another! I just can’t believe that it took me so long to get around to starting a blog and making lots of new friends!
Aww, thank you so much! You made me blush! 😊 I love the help everyone offers to each other too – it’s so great and makes you feel all warm inside! I wish I’d started my blog earlier too…!
Hi Rachel, I loved reading this post. I think it sums most of us up, I’m sure. When I first starting my sewing business, it took me ages to pluck up the courage to blog. I’m a bit shy and thought ‘who could possibly be interested in what I have to say?’ But I got over it and decided it would be a good thing to do, even if just for myself. It would keep me focused and give me a sounding board to bounce ideas around. I was very humbled by the amazing warm welcome and responses from this lovely, friendly community and it’s great to be a part of it. I too couldn’t imagine not having a blog now. I love sharing and chatting with other crafters all over the world. I think it’s good for self well-being too. I have four kids (well two are big but two are still only 3 and 8. The 3 yr old at this very moment is trying to get some attention, so better be off in minute!), as I was saying blogging keeps me sane I think! It’s so nice to connect with lovely, like-minded people. 🙂
I blog for similar reasons as you, for myself and to just be a part of an online community. It also pushes me to actually sew, instead of just collecting patterns and fabric. I don’t talk about my blog with anyone, a few of my friends only know about it because I’ve accidentally mentioned it in conversation. I feel all weird at the thought of them looking at my blog. I’ve never even told my parents either! Oh I know the feeling about being followed or getting a comment, it’s like getting a little present.
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