Top Ten Things I Learned at Sewing Summit

A week has passed since I returned from Sewing Summit, and I’m still wrapping my head around everything I learned and experienced. For your reading pleasure, below are the top ten things that I learned from the speakers at Sewing Summit. In addition to the insightful speakers, I met countless interesting people. You can learn more about some of them over at my mom’s blog.

10. Finishing seams is one of the most effective ways to make your handmade clothes look more polished and professional. _{a, e}

9. When starting to sew your own wardrobe, comfort is essential. Work with fabrics you are comfortable with and make pieces that you are comfortable wearing. _a

8. Balancing value, scale, type and color is important when selecting fabrics for a project. If you keep some of them consistent, then you have more leeway with the rest. _b

7. For an appealing, quick loading blog, resize your photos so that they are the same width as your blog (not including the sidebar). _{c, d}

6. To get awesome pictures, don’t be afraid to do wacky things like stand on a bed to get the shot you want. _c

5. While blog design, social networking and high quality pictures are important to creating a successful blog, compelling content is most important of all. _{d, g}

4. Keep creating and create what matters to you. _{e, h}

3. The best inspiration comes from your own life. _{f, g, h}

2. In quilting and fabric, as in novels, the most interesting stories are made up of layers upon layers upon layers of meaning. _h

1. Learn to use the necessary tools. _{a, h}

a.        Handmade Wardrobe with Mena Trott

b.       Creative Fabric Selection with JeniBaker

c.        Photography with Vanessa Hewell
d.       Website Design with Melissa Esplin
e.       Finishing Details with Anna Graham
f.         Keynote with Joel Dewberry
g.        Successful Blogging with Tauni Everett
h.       Fabric Design with Thomas Knauer