Why The Sewist Society?

What's in a name? I'll start with mine, Leigh Anne, nice to meet you. I am one of the co-founders of TSS (The Sewist Society).

We choose this name because we thought about this problem we were trying to solve and where it stems from.

The term Sewist is meant to evoke a meaning of skilled work, an artist, and non gendered. Everything in our world is gendered and the sewing world is no stranger. Men are called Tailors and women are called seamstresses. Now, tell me, when you read those names did you have any automatic reaction to think one of these trades people was more skilled?

We had seen the word Sewist used by a handful of people and loved it. It could be applied to anyone in the sewing field. Adding on Society ,we felt like, gave it a house, a way to think about sewing as "yeah we have a society" . A community/club/ Society that could come to together and skill share and uplift the trade as a whole.

Why The Sewist Society and textile recycling? we are in this predicament because we have lost the connection to sewing our community once had. If we do not value or even realize that every piece of clothing is made by human (mostly women) hands, then we of course will buy, wear once, and throw away.

The Sewist Society was born, and we are here for seeing how it will grow and change as we bring our facility and organization into existence.

By Leigh Anne Balzekas