By Karen Williams | Founder & Director |
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Due to Covid 19, the world has changed even more since the last time I visited with you! This buzz phrase, “The New Normal,” everyone is talking about is indicative of a less personal experience with others outside our homes. We are no longer encouraged to hug, handshake, elbow or fist bump, whisper a secret close to the ear or laugh uncontrollably with a wide-opened mouth. Being sequestered at home for weeks, has us depending on all information technology and systems that many only heard about but now use frequently. So, how does SL fit in this New Normal? We are a business that needs students to be close so that they can learn techniques they find in textbooks and on websites. We are the teachers who stand over you at the sewing machine and guide you by not allowing you to sew larger than suggested seam allowances. We are the place where we can see if you get the concept or not by looking directly in your eyes and seeing your smile when you do get it. We are the people that need to touch the hem of your garment, side seam or collar to ensure that we’ve taken fabric in or out enough so that your alteration/repair works for you. Essentially, we are a "human touch" business. |
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What does a human touch business do when physical contact is the “Old Normal” for sewing instruction and things will never be the same? I was listening to Science Friday on NPR recently and heard a fascinating interview with Ainissa Ramirez, PhD, who authored The Alchemy of Us. The interview inspired me to consider new methods of teaching that integrate the humanness of my teaching process with available technologies. In The Alchemy of Us, Ramirez tells the story of Ruth Belville (1854-1943), who was known as the Greenwich Time Lady, the woman who sold time! Yes, time! |
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Upholding a 104-year-old family business tradition, Belville would take Arnold -- a highly accurate chromometer (better than a pocket watch) -- on a weekly, 30-mile journey from London to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England to synchronize it to the exact time of day. Then she would return to London and sell the precise time to businesses that depended on her accuracy, such as railroad stations, banks, and newspapers, to name a few. Dr. Ramiez said, “Ruth Belville brought time to her customers as society’s habit of living by the clock came into full bloom…accurate timekeeping changed society and touched all aspects of life.” Ramiraz explained in her book that we should appreciate technologies that abound and think critically about using them in new ways. With this in mind, I am considering offering sewing instruction and support using Zoom and Facebook video. Let me know if this interests you! |
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(By Fox Photos/Hulton Archive. Fotograf nicht namentlich bekannt - Getty Images, ursprünglich abgedruckt in der Daily Express, 10. März 1908. Nachdruck in Derek Howse: Greenwich Time and the Longitude. Philip Wilson Publishers, London 1997, ISBN 0-85667-468-0., Public Domain.) |
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SL is currently closed, but we are offering masks to help keep you safe. |
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We are not comfortable with opening up right now, especially not knowing whether the environment outside our homes is safe enough to mingle. However, we have been using physical distancing as an opportunity to explore new methods of teaching and selling, what Ramiraz might call “a different angle than what is well known.” With that in mind, we are currently selling face masks on our website. There is a variety of fabric designs available. To order, visit our online shop. We appreciate your business and will let keep you informed of our reopening. |
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Our masks come in up to 21 DIFFERENT fabrics and two different styles (pleated rectangle and triangle). | | |
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The Dos and Don'ts of Masks Wearing! |
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Since wearing masks is “The New Normal,” I’ve been noticing how people are wearing them and have been wondering about the correct way? “How NOT to Wear a Mask” by Tara Parker-Pope, an article from the April 7 edition of The New York Times, provides the following suggestions: - DON'T wear the mask below your nose.
- DON'T leave your chin exposed.
- DON'T wear your mask loosely with gaps on the sides.
- DON'T wear your mask so it covers just the tip of your nose.
- DON'T push your mask under your chin to rest on your neck.
- DON'T touch the front of the mask when you take it off.
- DON'T have a false sense of security. Masks offer limited protection and work better when combined with hand washing and social distancing.
- DO wear your mask so that it comes all the way up, close to the bridge of your nose, and all the way down under your chin. Do your best to tighten the loops or ties so it’s snug around your face, without gaps.
- DO wash your hands before and after wearing a mask.
- DO wash and dry your cloth mask daily, and keep it in a clean dry place.
- DO remove your mask while inside your home. Elevators and stairwells can be high contamination areas.
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Until further notice, please wear your mask. |
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FOR REVIEWS OF PAST EVENTS AND UPDATES ON FUTURE HAPPENINGS, CONNECT WITH SEWENDIPITY LOUNGE ON FACEBOOK. |
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What's hot and what's not in sewing and fashion today? Find out each month in LoungeTips, our online magazine. |
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HOURS: Mon-Thu 11:00 AM-7:00 PM Fri 11:00 AM-5:00 PM Sat Closed Sun Open by Appointment |
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