What Makes My Day...

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Vintage postcard of lady reading a letter

Vintage postcard of lady reading a letter

There are some days that opening my in-box leaves me with an especially huge smile on my face. I always love to hear from my customers, but I have a special place in my heart for the youngsters--the ones who discovered their love of sewing early on while using my patterns or while reading through helpful posts on the Message Forum, encouraged by fellow sewists all the way. I absolutely love to see young designers start up their own businesses and thrive--and pass on their love of sewing to others. This has been one of the biggest "perks" of running S&S, and it truly is a joy. The historical and vintage community is a vibrant and welcoming one, and there are a lot of people cheering each other on and giving each other a boost. Cathy Hay over at The Peacock Dress wrote about this earlier this month, and she is spot on. There's no competition in this business--only a desire to see more and more designers in the field doing what they love.So, when I opened my in-box to find this letter waiting for me, I got tears in my eyes and grinned like an idiot all day:

Dear Mrs. Chancey,Seeing how you've developed S&S inspired me to believe I could do something similar. I've been building my brand, jordan elisheva (http://jordanelisheva.com), for six months, but before that I did freelance sewing, specializing in historical reproductions (a few of which were made from your patterns). Earlier this month, I published a book surrounding a skirt I designed years ago. I’ve attached the PDF as a small thank-you for all the inspiration and education I drew from you personally, as well as the S&S message forum. I haven’t been active on the forum for a while, but during my teens it was a huge part of my development as a seamstress, designer, and pattern-maker.Thank you again. Keep up the good work!~Jordan Newhouse

Classic Wrap Skirt eBook

Classic Wrap Skirt eBook

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jordan elisheva

Wrap Skirt

Wrap Skirt

What an honor to have been an inspiration for someone to start up her own boutique brand! I love this to bits, and I was thrilled to get the free copy of Jordan's eBook. The wrap skirt has been popular for decades, and, while it may seem like a super-easy project, there is actually an art to getting it right and ending up with a skirt that drapes properly and is finished beautifully. What I found so delightful about Jordan's eBook is her eye for details. She writes in the intro, "In this book I have included the instructions to make a skirt, yes. But more than that, these instructions will teach you how to use this skirt to make yourself an artisan! [T]his isn’t a normal pattern. Sure, you could treat it like one, and end up with a skirt that is like all your other homemade skirts. Or you can treat this book as an experience, fully leaning into the process, and savoring every detail." Here, in a nutshell, is the difference between a cut-and-dried pattern and one that has an eye for equipping sewing enthusiasts to do their very best. Jordan's writing style is clear and inviting, and she includes a worksheet to help you get the perfect fit. Line art diagrams make it easy to follow the cutting instructions, and the good, clear photos will help you through the construction steps.I am tickled pink to recommend this lovely eBook/ePattern without reservation (and not just because I got a complementary copy). If you want to become an artisan and hone your sewing skills, Jordan is right by your side. This is what it's all about, and I couldn't be more thrilled. Pop on over to jordan elisheva to see for yourself!