You Are a Rebellious Sewist
You have never met a rule that you haven’t broken. The road less traveled? Nah, you take the same as everyone else; you just choose to drive against traffic. Just like a life of breaking rules, sewing is just another venue for your rebellion. What others call chaos you embrace as inspiration.
You don’t read instructions; you don’t pre-wash your fabric; you might even use your fabric scissors to cut paper. Unpicking is a foreign concept to you. Mistakes give your project character. You are confident that you can figure things out—after all, no one’s gonna tell you how to do anything. If a project gets too complicated, the hell with it! There are too many awesome patterns and projects in the world for you to be spending too much time on just one.
How to develop your sewing if you are a rebellious sewist
1. Use rules to your advantage
Your brash attitude can take you far—you are fearless! But sometimes—hey, hear me out—can save you time and frustration. They can also help you create a much more finished garment. Safety pins are cool only when they are not literally keeping your clothes from falling off.
2. Give structure a chance
You can think outside the box AND have some structure in your sewing practice. Think of it as a map—if you know a great shortcut, ignore the map instructions. But if you have no idea how you are going to get to your destination, directions can help you maximize your time. In sewing, instructions are not a mandate but suggestions, and many of them are there to make the road a bit less bumpy.
3. Start a sewing resolution!
Wonderful things start from rebellion. If everyone always complied, we would be stuck. Be a role model for others. Write a sewing manifesto. Convince others to join the cause.
Hey, there, and welcome—I'm Paula
I’m the sewist behind SewGoth, a blog for alt/goth and other non-comforming sewists who want to create a wardrobe that matches their style and fit their bodies. .
I am a self-taught sewist who began sewing my own clothes because I could not find clothes in the style that I liked that fit my body. I have been sewing for over 15 years. I learned through trial and error, a ton of Internet research, and a few classes (when things got really difficult).
I am a trained journalist and educator, which has been immensely helpful as I write my blog posts and develop my classes. I like to find the questions no one has answered yet and work my way until I find the answer. Then, I share it with the world through the blog or my classes. Sewing has changed my life—I know that I can clothe my body in a way that respects my shape and represents my style.
No time to waste? Check out these resources to get your sewing going ASAP...
1) Follow me on Instagram for lots of inspiration, tutorials, techniques, etc.
2) Visit and subscribe to SewGoth Sewing Channel on YouTube
3) Keep an eye out for SewGoth Sewing School—classes starting in 2024!
