Sunday, November 22, 2009

Video Blogging! (Vlogging?)



Hello, friends! I hear video is all the rage these days. (Apparently, there's thing this called YouTube? All the kids love it.) So I'm giving it a go here. Go easy on me, I feel very vulnerable in this format!

Please leave any suggestions for future video posts here!

53 comments:

  1. HI Gertie,

    The video is great. I have one suggestion for you I learned from my favorite professor on giving a lecture to a class. And that is, when you're planning what to say, even if you want to speak off the cuff for most of the time you should write out or memorize your transitions between topics, because, as you know, those are the trickiest parts!

    Sorry if that's too obvious a point.

    As a beginning sewist, I would love to see a video discussion about judging drape and hand and how two different weight fabrics can make the same garment look different.

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  2. Could you be ANY cuter?! And what a sweet husband you have to not only film it, but chime in!

    I would definitely love some video tutorials. I think the crinoline would be a great first one! Maybe some simple skirts for people new to sewing? And my last idea which is the one I personally would love would be some steps for fitting a pattern to your body! Sometimes reading these things is a little confusing so having the visual helps! Thanks again for your great blog!

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  3. Wow, I just read my comment and think I went a little overboard with the exclamation points! There I go again. (<--that period is me using restraint)

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  4. This is so fun!! It feels much more personal. I can't wait to see where you take it - and I'll be watching for your bound buttonholes. Yay!

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  5. I've been reading your blog for awhile now, but am always too timid to comment (heaven forbid I comment with something embarrassing in front of the internet world where I am anonymous, right?). HOWEVER, this video was so fabulous it inspired me to leave a few words! Thank you for showing us your work space and your projects! I definitely look forward to some tutorials, as most the time on more complicated techniques I usually just make up my way of doing things with occasionally disastrous results - I need to be instructed! You're inspiring us all to be better sewers, my dear!

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  6. Now this is fun! I'll be looking forward to more video!

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  7. A pleasure to meet you Gertie! What a lovely smile you have.

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  8. It's so nice to see you! Thanks for showing us your work space and your stash. I look forward to the crinoline tutorial vlog.

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  9. That was a fun things to see! I hope we get to see more of you! I think taking a break at the halfway point of the book is a great idea-then you can take it back up at the beginning of the year and start fresh.

    Just an idea-I bet a lot of your readers have little girls who would love a pretty dress-how about a drawing for the finished product? That way you know it will go to a loving home and it would make a little miss very happy to have a new dress.

    Wish you could come over to my workroom and hang out. You seem like such a neat lady! If you are ever in Phoenix....look me up!! Jenny

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  10. OMG! You are going to make me get into video blogging!

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  11. Hi Gertie,
    Love your Video Blog. You are a very giving person and such an inspiration to others. It's wonderful your husband is so supportive of you, it was great to hear his input on the video too.

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  12. I rarely ever comment on other people's blogs, but I know how much I love comments on mine, so I am going to jump on the bandwagon and say: Way To Go Gertie!
    I don't know if you ever read Go Fug Yourself, but the Fug girls often comment on how much fun various people would be to be stuck in an elevator/go shopping with/have a drink with, and I think you are now officially the random person I would be most psyched to spend time with in an elevator... You seem like such fun!
    I also cant wait to see a bound button hole tutorial!
    My one suggestion is that you add photographs to your post, after, like of close ups to the fabrics you chose, just so we can see detail....
    thanks for all the fun!

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  13. Dude, you're adorable. I think this whole video thing is a great move. : )

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  14. What a great VLOG! :) Anthony and I loved it, and it was so cool to hear your sweet hubs and the kittens in the background. Have a lovely turkey day this week, we'll be looking forward to your next post! xoxo

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  15. Hi Gertie,
    I found your blog about two weeks ago and as a new sewer I have found it very inspiring - thanks! I think your first video worked just fine for what it was. Some people clam up and generally act bizarre in front of a camera but you seemed pretty natural and only slightly nervous which is normal. If you get really into it a tripod and simple video editing software would give your videos a more polished look (and you won't feel nervous about messing up). I believe both macs and pcs come with some kind of basic video editing programs. As for future videos - I would love to see a tutorial on the chemise dress- I need to make one! It really did come out well and was very flattering on you.

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  16. I've been reading for a while and I'm not sure if I've commented before, but I had to because you are just too sweet in your video (and your husband too!). I loved it and think it would be really nice to see more in the future - maybe little updates like these, showing us around your workspace (I'm not sure if you have shown it before, but because you live in a city I'm assuming it may be small like the rest of us city-dwellers?) and little tutorials. Thanks for posting this one, and for all your great work - you always inspire me!

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  17. Well done! Congrats on the first vlog! So great of you to share this with us.

    I also agree with the idea about how to choose fabrics for a project. Would be interesting. And the crinoline tutorial? Yay!

    BTW I second the elevator comment! I think my friends are getting tired of the phrase "Gertie says..."

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  18. I loved the video. It would be great to see a bound buttonhole tutorial. Since reading your blog (and a few others), I've become intrigued by the little details that put hand sewn clothing in a class by itself.

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  19. Gertie, this is so funny, but I was just thinking the same thing this past week about doing videos on my blog. So I had my 9 year old daughter video tape me a couple of days ago. But I chickened out and didn't post it because I thought I might look stupid. So I don't know if I'm ever going to or not.

    But I thought you looked really cute. Your personality comes across as fun and cute and you a have a sweet and perky voice.

    I enjoyed the video.

    It was a little hard to see some of the pretty fabrics with the lighting; so I don't know if you could do anything about that or not, with a lamp? I don't much about lighting.

    I would love to see you explain draping in a video if you know how.

    Also, what I REALLY NEED is I need to see someone tracing out a Burda Magazine pattern. I'm so scared to do a Burda pattern because I don't know how to add the seam allowance and how to trace it properly. I'm also a little afraid I won't understand the instructions. So if you could do another video on walking us through the Burda magazine instructions, that would be so awesome.

    Could you let me know if you think you might be able to do a video on these topics?

    Also I think taking a break to do some other projects is an excellent idea.

    I like the drawing idea for the dress.

    Happy Thanksgiving.

    Thank you!

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  20. I can't wait to see your version of that Colette pattern. I haven't completely finished mine but did enough to get my feedback in on time. I should be finished (except for the hem) on Tuesday. Thanks for mentioning the crinoline tutorial so I didn't have to nag you again. ;) Also, I totally didn't expect your voice to be so sweet, I was thinking something a little deeper, and you also look so petite in the video. You kind of reminded me of Emily Martin, someone else I would love to meet in person. Have a great holiday!

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  21. Oh, you are so sweet! And so is your husband! I can´t imagine mine helping me in such way... he would either refuse to do it or be very bored I guess :)
    Jana

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  22. That was super cute!!! Can we see some kitties next time?? Enjoy your holidays... you deserve a break!! xoxo

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  23. What a great idea with a vlog! There's so much of the techniques you mention that I'm a bit frustrated at not really understanding (language-barriers... I sew in Sweidsh and sometimes all the sewing words are too much to translate).
    I would especially love a vlog on the bound buttonholes, they look so great when you make them! I would also just love a vlog on the fabric-covered buttons you make yourself. How on earth do you do them?!
    Thanks for another great post, and have a nice holiday!

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  24. Very courageous of you to start vlogging! Keep it going! I love your blog and I'm sure I'll become a big fan of your vlogs too!

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  25. Cute new format! Nice to mix things up. Good idea to give yourself a break from the vogue challenge and attack some other projects, as you may start to resent the Vogue project for getting in the way of your other plans! Can't wait to see what you do with the polka dot wool.

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  26. You are a star! Great job. You have such a sweet little voice.

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  27. Oh, thanks so much, everyone! You're all so encouraging and sweet. Hopefully I'll get the hang of the video format as I go . . . but Jeff says it's cute when I get all awkward and flustered. Husbands have to say stuff like that I guess. :)

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  28. Hi Gertie! I loved your video, you're so darling! I think this could be a great medium for your tutorials. I look forward to more awesomeness and good luck on that coat!

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  29. Hm... your comment about the little girl's dress reminded me that I need to get started on Little Bits' new dress. :) I'm making her an a line dress out of a piece of white fleece that I have kicking around. I'm going to applique ribbon 'stems' and flower patches on it and run some dark blue grosgrain around the sleeves. Since my SIL seems to love putting leggings or pants with Evie's dresses lately, it's going to have a pair of pants out of some leftover blue fabric printed with pink flowers... It's a Christmas present, I think. Must remember to remeasure Evie. I'm sure she's grown some since last month when I made her Halloween costume...

    I'd love some tutorials, too. I'm pretty much self taught, so I have no idea about things like bound buttonholes. I'm going to be doing some corded buttonholes soon, though. I need to make eight of them for the vests I made for my brother for Christmas. Luckily, my sewing machine manual (I own a Pfaff 1222E, which was state-of-the-art in 1965) tells me how to do it.

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  30. Well, I loved the video! I thought it was great and I look forward to more. The tutorial idea is wonderful.
    I'm a test sewer for Colette Patterns, too! *High five* I loved my project! Can't wait to see what you made.

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  31. Hi Gertie!

    How lovely to hear your voice. It's so nice to now connect it with your inspiring words. I think the video format is a fantastic idea. Of course it makes sense that it would be easier to explain things that way instead of writing it all out.

    I'd love to see a video tutorial on bound buttonholes as well. I just read an article about making wool coats with zippers and I thought--wow, how novel, but I'd rather put in bound buttonholes...I imagine how satisfying it would be to use them.

    I'd love to see any helpful thoughts you have towards hemming. I love hems and I've been experimenting and trying to find my favorite way for various fabrics and I would love to see how you tackle a hem.

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  32. I second Katie's comment about your cuteness and your sweetie husband! I wish my better half was as willing to help our occasionally.

    I think it would be great to see what you are working on while you are on break! I love your style and your choice of patterns. and now that you have live video how about a tour of your sewing space or a NYC sewist's shopping tour??

    Have a happy turkey day!!

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  33. Wow, Gertie, I was afraid I wouldn't get what you would say, but you're super easy to understand!
    The video is great (but on a 'technical' point, am I the only one who sees your red fabric in a vivid pink on my screen?), and I'd like to know how to properly choose fabrics for a project, too (I ruined a lovely golden corduroy last spring for a wrong choice of pattern)!
    Sorry to hear you're having a break with Vonbbs, because we may not see the making of the background dress (my dear favorite) for a while... but I'm delighted to hear more and more of Colette patterns new collection on blogs, I hope you'll show what you've made soon!

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  34. Gretchen, you did a wonderful job on the vlog; you looked like a natural. I think that comment about having a drawing for the little girl's dress was a good idea. Obviously not for me because I have no kids but others would love it!
    I, too, can't wait for the new batch of Colette patterns to come out.

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  35. I loved the vlog, and yes, I can't wait to see a bound buttonhole tutorial. Great additions from the husband. That is so adorable. The vlog gives a more personal glimpse into your world of sewing. Thanks for the sewing inspiration.

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  36. Great video Gertie! It's really nice to hear you "in person" instead in print. I would love to see where you're at with different projects in upcoming videos. I love learning new stuff about sewing, so anything you feel like sharing tutorial-wise would be fantastic.

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  37. Hi!
    I've just started following your blog, and don't mind you taking a break... that means I can start reading from the beginning, and managing to keep up-to-date when you start over again with the Vogue-book. That book looks really great, by the way! I think you're brave to go to the video format, but you don't have anything to be afraid of, whimsy and cute is just charming, and it was easy to follow you (as a foreigner). So I would love to see tutorials, especially on neat details (which I just guess there's a lot of in Vogue-sewing...)!

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  38. So very cool - I can't wait to see more! Oh and as to taking a break? Do it - the projects you have going on sound great!

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  39. Hi Gertie,
    You are the best...very courageous!
    I so enjoy all your posts.

    Wishing you very happy holiday.

    Suzanne

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  40. awesome! love this video blogging experiment. i second the request (somewhere above) for a tour of your workspace! also would love to see more of your stash. AND, this may be silly but i would love a tutorial on how you do your hair like that, with the lovely braid!! thanks, gertie--

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  41. You are so inspiring! How do you get time to sew everything that you do? I can fully understand wanting to take a break from the Vogue sewing - as long as you don't take a break from blogging! I really want to get the pattern for the portrait blouse - is there any way to get it??? I have looked around vintage sites and there are none to be had....

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  42. I love that you vlogged! reading your blog is one of my favorite parts of the day, so this extra insight into your personality was great!!! I just bought my first Collette pattern, the beignet skirt and i'm a little scared of all of the peices and hello.. buttonholes galore! Also, i adore the way you'e been wearing your hair lately! Can't wait to see the finished coat!

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  43. It was awesome finding out what you sound like. You always have such great hair, too.

    I want to second another poster in saying that the little girl's dress could be a contest. Its also possible to find a family with a little girl that could use a new frock. If you were up for making it for Christmas, it could be a "Secret Santa" gift for a family that couldn't otherwise afford a Christmas dress.

    Happy Blogging!

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  44. Gertie, that was fun. I reckon everyone should do this - I feel like I've met you now. Looking forward to the bound buttonholes tute. I also want to put in a vote for a video tute on resizing vintage patterns.

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  45. Gertie, this was so much fun. And you have a very sweet voice! Nice to meet you this way.

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  46. Gertie, I'm so proud of you! You do extremely well on video and it ads an element that really elevates your blog. Good decision to go video!
    Thankyou,
    Sandy

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  47. You have a very winning way about you and a lovely soothing voice...just made for video. Keep them coming please. You're a natural in front of the camera.

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  48. Great job on the video - please do more of them!!! Kathy

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  49. AWWWW! You're adorable! You're great on camera and your voice is clear and wellspoken, and I look forward to more vlogs :o)

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  50. You guys are just too cute. That really put a smile on my face. You sound as pleasant as your writing.

    Keep it up.

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Thanks for your comments; I read each and every one! xo Gertie

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