People have said for years that blogging is dying out, but I don’t believe it.
I love Instagram, and loved Twitter before it, but I don’t think either can replace a chatty, in-depth blog post! A blog post offers insight into the whole sewing process, including wins, fails and adjustments along the way. It shows garments from all angles, in large photos. And finally, a blog post offers a deeper connection between author and reader, and lets us all slow down to enjoy our sewing community at a less frantic pace!
Here’s why I think blogging is unique:
- A blog post usually talks about every aspect of a project, from choosing a size and picking fabric to construction and fit. It’s rare that an Instagram post contains all that detail!
- Blogs can also include links back to previous version you’ve made of that pattern, other ways you used the fabric, or versions by other people that inspire you! You can link to where you bought the fabric, tutorials you followed, and the pattern itself.
- Blogs often contain more photos, including details and shots from all angles.
- Blog pictures often show up bigger on a computer screen, so you can see more detail!
- Blogs are a more permanent record. I search my own blog and others all the time to find pattern reviews and construction notes. Yes, it’s possible to search tags on Instagram, but it’s much harder to find a project from several months or years ago when it is buried in a timeline.
- Instant gratification and speed consumption of social media isn’t great for us, I believe. When I skim through Instagram, I’m more likely to feel antsy or envious of people’s photogenic life and beautiful creations. When I read a blog, I remember all the work they put into the project, and feel inspired to create myself!
- Finally, not everything worth talking about can be easily compacted into a pretty picture and a little caption! Sometimes a long-form post like this is the way to go.
Now of course, Instagram does things brilliantly as well, and I’m not arguing that blogs do everything well. I enjoy peeks into friends daily lives on Instagram, as well as stories, polls, and following hashtags. I’m even excited to see what IGTV makes possible! All I’m saying is, don’t write off blogs yet!
As each form of social media gains momentum, I think our feelings about it wax and wane. When I was first blogging, it was such a small community that I could comment on everyone I follow! Several years later, I was following 500+ bloggers and feeling overwhelmed. Instagram initially offered a small, curated and rewarding community, where again, I could interact with the people who inspired me. Now that I’ve been on Instagram for a few years though, I find myself scrolling, double-tapping, and trying to rush to the “end” of my feed so I won’t feel guilty for missing something! Both platforms went from being relaxing and fulfilling to something that brings me guilt.
So, what’s the answer? I’m going back to blog reading! I’m looking at my blog feed every day, and unfollowing blogs I don’t connect with, and keeping the blogs that make me excited to read! I’m also trying to build blog reading back into my daily routine, as a relaxing thing I can do on lunch break. And most importantly, I want to take time to comment and cheer bloggers on, so that blogging continued to be a relevant and engaging way to share about sewing.
What do you think? Does Instagram fulfil all you social media needs, or do you love blogs as well? And where does Youtube fit into all of this? My opinion is only right for me, so i’d love to hear what you think too!
Thanks to Clever Tinker and Lucky Lucille for getting me thinking about this topic!
Crafting A Rainbow 
I don’t do Instagram at all, as I don’t have a funky phone. My daughter keeps nagging me to get onto it, but it doesn’t really interest me to go for that sort of platform. As you say, I like the chattiness of blogs. I don’t like vlogs either…dare I say it, voices often irritate me too much, and most of them come across [to me] as rather twittery and inane. Grumpy old woman that I am! I try to cull my blog lists now and then, and only add new ones occasionally, usually because they have been mentioned by another blogger I resonate with. As you say, it can all suck up a lot of time if you let it.
I like the feeling of having friends online, even ones who I am unlikely to ever meet in person. To keep that going, I try to comment as often as possible, hopefully not just to say ‘ooh I like that’ lol LONG MAY WE BLOG!
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One of this things I love about your blog is that you’ve got that original flavour – posting a lot of a little, as you please, and doing lots of updates on big projects! It’s fun and casual and authentic! I always enjoy seeing your comments around on blogs!
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thanks – what a lovely bit of feedback! I do seem to be reading a lot of bloggers who set themselves strict rules on how many posts they should do etc, and then they get bogged down and start to feel pressured. It seems a pity, it’s only a diary, not a career choice! [for most lol] The only time I force myself to any sort of standard is for CoBloWriMo, which is just for the fun of it, and only once a year [fortunately] It does force me to have a little discipline, which I can just about cope with on a once a year basis!
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I started to read blogs again a couple of months ago – I read them when I have my morning tea break and try to comment where I can. I also, like you, found that I was following lots of blogs that I just don’t read …so I started unfollowing them in blog reader and now have a happy blend that I read.
Personally, I blog for me .. to keep track of my projects and to let that voice inside my head out every now & then!
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Tea and blogs sounds like a lovely morning routine! I used to always read them at lunch time, and then just fell out of the habit… I’m enjoying trying to start it up again!
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Yes to all of this! I’m having to be choosier about who to follow these days, but I’ve never stopped reading blogs. I still enjoy writing mine, even if no one else is reading it and I’m behind a few projects. But I do like being able to hear more details about a project and say more about my own.
I honestly only follow one vlog (Elizabeth Made This, since I’ve been reading her blog for ages, and I think she has a fun personality.) Blogs are a lot easier for me to keep up with, because I’m a fast reader and can pick it up and put it down as needed, or read a few while the kids are playing. But if I pull up YouTube, Hobbit’s always begging to watch dinosaur videos or something. I do love Instagram as a way to share works in progress, participate in things like Me Made May, and get quick feedback/get a quick sewing fix, but I don’t think it’s a full replacement for blogging. (As for Twitter, I’ve actually deleted my account because it was impossible to keep up with in my current life stage. I have to draw a social media line somewhere!)
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I”m so glad you’ve kept blogging! I like seeing how it keeps that side of your brain going, and it’s been so interesting to read along as your life has changed with kids! Thank you for always making time for my blog too! ❤
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I agree entirely!! As I mentioned on Clever Tinker’s post the other day, I feel like instagram is great at providing all kinds of creative inspiration, but blogs are where it is at when I actually want to sew a project and I need to get into the nitty gritty! And I can totally relate to the feeling of being ‘stressed’ by instagram, with it feeling as though it pulls you in a million different directions at once. Once, I’m at the stage of searching out blog posts about a make, it means that I’m really committed to and so it is a much slower and more enjoyable process to really understand how others have found the process in order to guide my own makes. For me, instagram and blogs have come to serve totally different purposes. Also, as instagram becomes more annoying (weird algorithms, increased reliance on paid content, stupid spam bots stealing my photos), I increasingly think that all this talk of the death of the blog is rather premature!! I also feel that, more and more, on instagram, I feel like I am treated (and behave) like a consumer (I want to buy, buy, buy that fabric/pattern etc.), whereas reading blogs make me feel like a creative and that’s what I want out of this passion!!
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Ooh, what a good point about the IG algorithm, and how it’s treating you like a consumer – I really notice lately that the ads are increasing, and and the out of order timeline really throws me off. I like the feeling that blogs are better at inspiring creativeity! (Although I have to say, I’ve had blog posts reposted without permissions, but never in a big enough way that it has really bothered me.)
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I too love blogs, and have been reading them since 2005. I am far too lazy to have my own, but I always feel sad when a favourite blogger/blog goes dormant.
I use a blog reader (feedly) so can easily keep up with all of them.
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I use feedly too! The busy interface on Bloglovin makes me crazy, but feedly is nice and clean!
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Instagram is a bite; a blog is the whole sandwich. I love the visuals and stories on Instagram, but I much prefer to read blogs. Does that mean I should start one some day? Probably not. My life is simply not that interesting. I’ll just keep following my favourites.
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In my mind, blog followers are just as important as blog writers! Have people who follow along and comment from time to time really makes the whole blogging endeavour seem more like community building and less like narcissism! 😉
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Blogs are it for me… I am less on Instagram – only when I’m in need for a time sink for a short time that I can hop in and hop out.. I am forever cutting down my blog roll – to just what I can relate to..
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I always feel a wave of guilt when I unfollow someone… but then I feel relieved! Do you struggle with that too?
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Good thoughts, G! I should get back to the thoughtfulness of blogging in the manner you demonstrate so well.
Respectfully, your t-shirt-challenged father.
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Your T-shirt is in Orangeville, and should be hand delivered by the end of the day! 😉
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Hi Gillian!! I’m a big blog fan, I follow 50+ blogs on my feed reader and they never leave me feeling ansy, even if I only skim through it to see the pretty pictures, and only go back to read the juicy details if I need them. Other thing I love about blogs is that a google search will find them, if the writer used keywords matching too your search. On my own blog I use it as a means to track my projects, I’m rubbish at writing down details on a notebook that no one will read apart from myself, so my blog acts as my sewing notebook.
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Agreed! I much prefer googling blog posts on a pattern to skimming through a tag on Instagram – because on IG all I get is visual inspiration, but on blogs I get more of the nitty gritty!
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I’m a much bigger fan of bloggers/blogging and youtube than Instagram. I don’t bother with Instagram at all. As you say, it’s the in depth read or viewing of the author’s work in a holistic way that offers the best learning experience for me which is why I follow someone in the first place. I like to see what everyone is up to but if I’m not learning something then it’s honestly not worth my precious time 🙂
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Amen! I love your outlook on life, Kathleen. ❤
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Instagram frustrates me to no end. Whether it’s a pretty fashion picture, a me-made outfit, a recipe, a piece of furniture…I need the DETAILS. I need to know what materials were used, what plan/pattern, what worked great, what went wrong. I love the story behind what inspired the maker, where they wore it, the reaction when they gifted it, the pride in a job well done and the humor at a project gone wrong. I love the glimpses into their life when they work in something cute their kid did, or their partner’s reaction, or a friend’s delight, the confidence they felt. You don’t get any of that from Instagram.
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Well said! I think on of the reasons IG doesn’t fulfil my soul the same was as blogs is that when there isn’t room to get into the trial and error part of sewing, then I miss that connection to the actual making. I like the process of sewing more than the product (although I enjoy that too) so reading about the process really inspires me!
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Hey G: I agree – it’s crap for showing the iterative sewing process but Insta works much better for featuring knitting projects (given the slow nature of that activity) – and it really does the trick when it comes to renos! So I’ve come to appreciate Insta as a totally different platform. To me, it isn’t sharing. It’s showing off your photos! 🙂
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I still love to read blogs. I love to see what others are sewing to get ideas and inspiration. I don’t care for twitter as I feel like my mind is racing from too much stimulation after using it. I prefer to be able to read the story behind the make, whichever story the author chooses to tell, at my pace–that’s why I prefer blogs over vlogs. I love youtube for when I want to learn how to use a tool, sew something tricky, or learn a new skill. I like to read blogs with my morning cup of coffee, on my break at work, and to wind down when I get home from work. I also like to ability to be able to have a “conversation” with someone who shares my love of sewing. For years I’ve only read but recently I’ve been commenting more and I have found that I love this exchange of ideas. As longer as there are bloggers and readers, blogging will remain a thriving concept.
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Good thoughts, and I think you’re right, blogging is cyclical. I like Instagram for quick glimpses of what-I’m-doing/wearing/eating, and also for inspiration. I love the chattyness of blogs though and read them in chunks whenever I have a bit more time.
I’v been blogging on and off since 2004, sometimes more, sometimes less. Right now my blog is on hiatus until I can manage to incorporate new-ish EU data privacy laws – but as we’re still busy with our new house, and haven’t even properly set up my sewing space yet, it’s still a way down the list of priorities… 😅
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I’m 5 years in and have never stopped blogging nor stopped reading blogs. I did quit IG for months, came back for my Cricut partnership, decided I have no desire to be an “influencer” (barf) and am pretty much over IG. I have seen people quit blogging and then hilariously use all the photos and have paragraph after paragraph of text under their pics. Like, DOH! Just write a blog post! LOL!!! But I guess some are in it for the engagement?? I like to record what I make and the notes and details as mentioned here by you and others.
And scrolling through IG is so passive, I am rarely actually registering anything I’m seeing. Not to mention on IG you usually see the one or two GREAT! photos. Rarely real discussion about the quality of the pattern, the experience of sewing it and THAT is what I’m interested in. The “pretty pics” don’t inspire me; I want to know if a pattern is worth trying out and a posed/staged pic with little substance behind it can’t help me there. Not to mention the insanity behind the IG algorithm. MANY times I’ve seen a post asking for help or suggestions, commented, then realized that was not the most recent post and they’ve already solved the problem/fixed it/etc. Grrrr!
I could possibly get into YouTube if people produced better content. I don’t want to hear ramblings! LOL!!! I was looking for a video for something (can’t remember what now), this woman had a 5 minute video and the info on the subject of the video started at the 4 minute, 4 second mark. I was so annoyed.
All that to say…as long as I sew I’ll probably blog my makes. I’m pretty much over putting them on Pattern Review too. I just can’t see the point anymore of posting across multiple platforms.
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I love reading blogs. I love how in-depth the Sewcialists blog is; it’s good reading! I blog whenever I have something to blog about, which is rare now, since I hardly have time to sew. I prefer reading detailed blogs. I do not enjoy sponsored content, unless the writer manages to actually deliver solid content instead of something silly.
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I rarely look at my Instagram acct but I never miss my blogs! I have a special folder in my email where I receive the newsletters and store them. Everyday I sit with a cup of coffee and relax with my online friends. I am learning so much from what you and others like you are writing and sharing! I have been sewing my clothes forever (or so it seems) and I have lots to learn–especially how to fit and flatter an aging figure. Thank you for all you do–you add a great deal to my enthusiasm for life.
Lisa D, SF Bay Area
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I’ve always been someone who reads a lot and also loved magazines, so sewing blogs are like having a whole bunch of magazine subscriptions covering my favorite topic of sewing! I like to read blogs when taking a break from other things. As for my own blogging, once I started I found that I really enjoyed the writing and so that plus sharing my sewing with people around the world is really satisfying. Plus some of my best friends are people I have met via sewing blogs and you can’t get better than that. IG is just OK in my opinion, kind of fun to see quick glimpses and I have had plenty of inspiration for a new pattern or other idea, but oh so many cats! too many cats to scroll through……just saying 🙂
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I’m all about blogs. The amount of detail you get from a blog post will never be replaced by Instagram, there is just too much technical information and info I can glean so much from people’s photos on a blog. I keep saying I want to restart mine again, if only for a personal accounting of what I am making, but have told myself that blogs are dying. Let’s breathe some life back into blogging!
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I really loved this blog post! I really liked point number 6 – and I agree, when you read a blog post and know how much work has been put into that project, not even the actual sewing of the garment, but the time for photos and for typing of the blog post. I find blogging really captures all of the time, love and effort that we put into the garments/crafts that we make! Thanks for the great blog post!
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I think, like you said, that there is space for both instagram and blogging. Call me crazy, but I recently restarted my blog after a 3 or 4 year hiatus. Instagram is fun, but its blogs that I go to before I start working on a new pattern. I’ll either remember that I saw a post from someone with a similar body type to mine who also made that pattern, or I’ll do a google and gather all the information I can. There simply isn’t enough space on instagram to put all the information needed about a sewing project. Even if blogging truly does die in other sectors, I can’t imagine it not remaining useful to the sewing community for a long time! And I am too impatient to watch vlogs, I want to be able to scroll a post to the parts I find most useful (fit issues, probably) and not listen to all the fluff people seem to feel the need to put in their sewing videos. A quick, to the point tutorial might be good for a video, but otherwise I’m not into it. I agree, Gillian, lets have a blogging renaissance! I need more blogs (that I can relate to) to follow!
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I find blogging to be a way better platform for sewing and well, making in general. It’s also better for discussion, maybe because you’re more likely to be on a computer? I have no desire to type out long responses on my phone. Like everyone said, IG isn’t great for in depth information. I like IG for snapshots of people’s lives. Sewingwise, that would mean, say, an in progress shot of a project or something like that. Also, has IG gone back to a chronological timeline or is it still all messed up? I just find there’s a lack of control in what you want to see and when on IG.
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I’ve never been a fan of Instagram because I’m just not photo-driven. And as several people have mentioned already, I am way more interested in the details behind the picture rather than the picture itself. Instead of looking at photos of other people’s finished makes for inspiration (because I already know what I like, what I want, and what looks good on me), I am looking for information about fitting adjustments, construction techniques, and what type(s) of fabric were used. None of that is ever on Instagram, which frustrates me to no end!
My usual sewing planning process involves picking a pattern, then looking online to see who has made it already and what the common adjustments are. It has become SO DIFFICULT to find that information. I hope that blogging does have a resurgence, and that bloggers put as much info as they can into their posts. Some of us are not afraid of reading =)
Also – I really, really appreciate it when sewing bloggers post their measurements, since those measurements will determine what fitting adjustments need to be done in order to get the garment to fit correctly. If I find bloggers whose measurements are close to mine, I know that I can rely on their posts to tell me what patterns I can use with/without major adjustments. No such thing as too much information where I’m concerned. 😉
– Julia
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As life has changed for me over the last couple years, blogging was one thing I had to sacrifice. When I found myself spending several hours composing a post, and not really having the resources to get good photos, I just quit kidding myself that I had the time and interest anymore. It was a huge mental relief to come to that conclusion, and I immediately felt more free in my sewing. I no longer consider whether or not a project is going to generate blog interest, I just sew for my needs. Plus, my actual sewing production has decreased dramatically, so less to share anyway.
With that said, I never quit reading blogs! I quit commenting for the most part, again, less time to write something thoughtful these days. It was never a matter of IG vs. blogging, or IG replacing blogs. The rise of IG, in my case, was purely coincidental. So, long live the blogs, and I hope people keep at it! The information I have found has been invaluable in developing my skills, and the sharing of pattern details is always of interest!
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Blogs are pretty much the best for me. Twitter isn’t very useful for sewing stuff, Instagram I get the same way as you–hurry and scroll through so I don’t miss anything! And I’m really not sure about the whole Stories thing…my old app didn’t have it, and now I do, and it just makes for even more of a time suck. Then I feel guilty because I’m ignoring my kids/house/etc. Blogs take more time, but I’ve culled my herd a lot the last year or so, so I feel like I have a much more manageable number now, and like you said I get a lot more out of them than Twitter/IG.
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I love blogs SO MUCH and have been so sad to see my favorite bloggers drop off/disappear into the Instagram ether. Don’t get me wrong, Instagram is lovely! I go there when I just really need to see something pretty. But that is entirely separate from my need/love of the chattiness and in depth insights and conversations that a good blog provides.
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Please continue blogging. I love all of the detail – for inspiration, education and entertainment.
But I must admit I haven’t yet given in to the rabbit hole of Instagram…
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Just want to weigh in on this–I find that Instagram can be a rabbit hole for me. I enjoy the blogs I read, especially those that come to my inbox. (Some don’t, and I visit them less often.) I agree with all you’ve said about blogging. I’m glad you’re blogging: I’m a late comer, but so glad I’ve found you!
p.s. I don’t always read all the comments, especially when I read some and find what I would say has been said. I didn’t read these–sorry!–because I wanted to chime in regardless of replication.
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Great discussion Gillian.
I have a blog and several months ago I noticed a dramatic decrease in comments on my posts. I had always thought that the lack of comments was attributed to changing times and that blogging really was on the way out. I rather reluctantly got myself on Instagram…a challenge when one doesn’t regularly use a cell phone. Although I like IG for
the speed…a quick update on a new pattern release for example…I never leave IG feeling happier or more deeply connected to people. And yet I keep scrolling through my feed. All. The. Time. Meanwhile, my blog hasn’t felt quite right since the chat diminished. After reading through the thoughtful comments here, i feel compelled to take a closer look at my posts. I do love to write, but I wouldn’t say my finished posts happen completely effortlessly. It takes me quite a bit of time to put together a post and it has been a bit of a struggle lately. Things are now feeling a bit like the chicken and the egg. I feel less motivated to post. I post less frequently. I have so much to say when I do post that I feel overwhelm. My posts lack a level of cohesiveness and information. Comments from readers drop. I feel less motivated to post…..
Okay, short answer. Instagram does not fulfill my social media needs. I love reading blogs and I love writing my own story. That being said, I feel I need help…especially with number 7. I keep trying to edit my posts down because I fear that people just don’t want to take the time to read the chatty bits.
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For what it’s worth, I love the chatty bits! I think they’re what makes blogs more relate-able! For me, I am always a bit bored when a blog post is just, I made pattern x, in size y with fabric z and it was easy/hard. On my own blog, I’m sure I chat too much, but I just really like the chatty part. For me, sewing always brings up issues of life and the world around me and body positivity and my favourite blogs are the ones who aren’t afraid to chat about the side issues!
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Thanks Beck! Your words resonate. They also help to remind me why I started blogging in the first place.
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An important thing about blogging for me is that you’re not tied to any particular platform. If I’m putting in the effort to create content I want to have the option to move it elsewhere if the platform I’m on goes away or starts to evolve in ways I don’t like.
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I love blogging. I love the depth and the real connection with your community, even if you only have a tiny following.
I love that my blog is a journal of my life, and how my children have grown.
I can also curate how you experience my “feed” in a way that simply isn’t possible with Instagram.
I also have a healthy list of blogs that I follow, that I manage on a regular basis to ensure that I’m only reading content that speaks to me, that feeds my creativity, and that reflects the choices I make in my life, in a way that I can’t with Insta.
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Gillian – – what a great post! I’ve been blogging and reading blogs for about five years now, and, even though I post occasionally on Instagram, I honestly don’t get the appeal. It stresses me out for one thing. There’s too much and I seem to have absolutely no control over what shows up in my feed, and there’s so much in it that I don’t care to look at. I love reading blogs though and getting into the nitty gritty of a make, and the choices someone made to get the look they achieved. I don’t follow Vlogs either – they take too long to get to the point, I guess. I hope people don’t give up on blogs – I love the community we develop through these longer conversations. I follow a zillion blogs, and love them all, and feature them on my blog’s side bar in hopes my readers will visit others and keep this energy going. I will probably blog my makes until I drop….so I’m in it for the duration and am glad to know you are too! Thanks again for a great thought provoking post!
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I like both blogs and instagram but rarely find/make the time for youtube stuff. I like using bloglovin – I can see at a glance if I want to read through the post later or quickly now or not at all, and mark as read ;o)
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I love reading blog posts. I follow a million sewing blogs and read blogs every morning during my breakfast, it’s my relaxing moment of the day. I don’t write in my own blog anymore however. I love instagram, post freaquently there and interact with lots of people. Instagram is my evening routine. Finally, i record YouTube sewing videos, which work better for me than blog posts because i can’t stand taking pictures of myself and usually hate them all because they make me feel bad about myself. Videos work for though and i watch sewing videos during the week-end when i fold laundry 🙂 Bref, I practice and love all meda and want to see them all survive!!!!
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I love this so much! I love blogging so much (my own blog has been around since 2001 though of course it wasn’t called a blog back then!) that I got a job at WordPress.com! Since taking up sewing as a hobby earlier this year I’ve been delighted by the number of active sewing blogs I’ve come across, and I’ve even mentioned it to the people in our marketing department. 😉
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I feel you so much! I love the detail of a blog post, and the (more or less) permanent record. I do love Instagram for posting in progress pics and instant feedback, but I find it hard to balance following all the different people who make interesting things with actually connecting with individuals. Sometimes the people I really want to see seem to drop from my feed entirely due to the algorithms! I actually sometimes enjoy the feed on my cooking & cats instagram account as I don’t follow many people on there, and they’re all people I really connect with. Yet I don’t want to prune my main feed aggressively and miss out. I tend to blame the wane of the blog squarely on smartphones. I (and I’m sure a lot of people) went from reading on my full computer to reading on my phone. Especially early on, the reader apps made commenting very difficult in a lot of cases (cough Blogger cough) and it was much easier to just tap out a quick like on Instagram than compose an in-depth comment on a tiny touchscreen keyboard. I have kept up my blogging, to the extent that I’m able, because it has value to me as a record of my makes, but it’s definitely less exciting to post now, when I rarely get more than one or two comments. I think you’re right about taking the time to read them, and also to comment more. I love how our community has grown, but I still want it to be a community, and that means it can’t be just a wide, shallow stream of hundreds of fleeting connections. When I have some time off later this summer, I’m definitely going to spend some time updating my blog, and hopefully I’ll be able to manage more reading and commenting as well!
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Am I the only one who HATES typing on the iPhone or any mini-gadget. I’m like an 80 year old. I do most instagram commenting from my computer. Cuz I touch type on a real keyboard like nobody’s business.
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I hate it too (I’ll give you a run for your money with the touch typing 😉 ) but I don’t spend any leisure time on a real computer these days. 😭
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Oooh, honey. Game on! (You know I’m a knitter, right? :-))
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I’ve noticed something a bit odd this year – that looking at Instagram puts me off writing for my blog. When I’m looking at my Instagram feed, I start to question whether my latest idea for a blog post really justifies a whole post (especially if it’s not a finished garment) – and I often end up just Instagramming it instead. Which always leaves me feeling a bit disappointed. I haven’t worked out why this is, but I’d like to do something about it!
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This is a really interesting point! I know what you mean. I don’t feel that way all the time, but it does happen. I feel that Insta is the “junk food” and blogs are the “sit down meal”. If you can get there with Insta, why bother with the 3 courses, as it were…
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Yes, exactly that – great analogy!
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I’ve never been over blogs but I do think that content and style has changed radically over the last 10 years (not surprising – time marches on and ways change). I did prefer the blog community in the early days, when comments were more frequently posted and it was less of a photo opp and more of a conversation, but I finally caved and got into Insta which has its own charm. Also, it’s easy. I hadn’t blogged in 8 months till last week, and now I’ve got 3 new posts up – so when I’m in the mood to write, write I will do. My blog is my place to keep info that I return to again and again. It’s my therapy. It’s my hobby. It’s a public journal. And when people respond, well that’s the icing on the cake!
I’ve given up all other platforms cuz I barely have time for the 2 I frequent. But I was big on Twitter for a long time till it just stopped seeming relevant, almost overnight.
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I’ve been a blog reader for years, and now I’m a tentative blogger too (early days), and hope very much that it never dies. Like so many others, I really value the enormous shared content within the sewing community – the detail of fitting, fabric choices, pattern alterations, hacks, frustrations, successes – that’s what fascinates. Somehow in my mind, IG is like ready to wear – you get the finished item rather than the process, and I love the opportunity to learn and enjoy that process. Thank you to everyone who blogs and shares their work – I love to read it!
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blog, blog and blog again!
I agree with everything you said, I love blogs forever and ever
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I find your post quite informative. I have the same feelings with blogs. I would not yet write them off. Although I have a Twitter account I use it more to spread my Instagram pictures than anything else. I go on it very rarely.
Although Instagram is fun, I still prefer blogs if I am looking for a review of a certain pattern I take to the blogs to find more information. As for YouTube, it is not really my cup of tea. I only use it for tutorials for specific techniques.
Sometimes I feel overwhelmed when I try to keep up with all the social media platforms. So I have a on- off relationship with them.
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I was going to write what SunnyGal Studio said “sewing blogs are like having a whole bunch of magazine subscriptions covering my favorite topic of sewing” I love reading all the make details, even on garments I don’t think I’d ever make. They all provide so many tips and tricks, and the courage to try something new!
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I like a good blog! I understand instant show offs, photos and comments on Instagram/Twitter/etc but sometimes a quick snapshot doesn’t REALLY show off the moment or the creation. Just think of those misinterpretations of a text received, misunderstood tone of voice, plus of course mispellings (guilty!) – nothing can replace a longer chat/ramble/display of life – i.e. a blog post or a long chat face to face !
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Love love love reading blog posts! I recognize that it must be a great deal of work for bloggers, but I do appreciate it! Instagram and any medium hay is just small bites of experiences doesn’t give you the same refreshing experience that reading does, of picturing in your mind the story like a novel!
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I love this!!! What are your favorite blogs to follow? Do you use Bloglovin? Or another reader?
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I use Feedly, because it’s a much cleaner looking interface than Bloglovin’. It’s hard to name just a few favourite bloggers, but here are a few that I always look forward to reading:
Meg http://cookinandcraftin.blogspot.com/
Carolyn https://sewingfantaticdiary.blogspot.com/
Shannon https://withararedevice.wordpress.com/
Jasika http://jasikanicole.com/try-curious-blog/
and Alex https://sewrendipity.com/
Have you got some suggestions in return? 🙂
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