I’ve been updating my blog theme and messing around in the (new-ish) Blogger admin, breaking stuff, and I noticed in the comments tab a *whole bunch of comments* waiting for approval.
Dang, and here I thought ye olde blogge had just died and nobody read it anymore! Turns out a setting got turned off somewhere along the way and I haven’t been receiving comment approval emails.
LOL.
I have to laugh at myself. But I’m also REALLY SORRY for never answering anybody’s questions!
Issue fixed. I promise I won’t be absent in the comments anymore, now that I can actually see all of yours!
23 Comments
Cathy Raymond
November 23, 2020 at 10:41 PMNot a problem! I sometimes wonder if anyone reads costume blogs any more (though mine had a pretty small Blogger-registered population). Yours is one of the better subscribed ones I know about. BTW, I love the outfit you're shown in at the top of this post.
Lauren Stowell
November 24, 2020 at 8:54 PMthanks! yes, blogs have definitely taken a nosedive. I feel they're replaced by Youtube right now, but honestly I'm not sure how sustainable that is. Maybe blogs will come back? (or I'm just…hoping? lol)
Theresa in Mèrida
November 25, 2020 at 3:37 AMI think writing a good blog post is harder than just talking to a camera. I used to blog and I would spend time editing, rewriting, and working on photo placement.
I really do like blogs better, I like being able to stare at photos as long as I want. I enjoy reading. As a child, being sent to my room, where my books were wasn't a punishment. My sister once told my mom," If you want to punish her make her watch tv."
I find myself speeding up some videos because the presenters ramble. I also don't want to watch people sew seams on their sewing machines for what feels like forever. If a video is showing a process that's different.
I do like podcasts when I'm sewing though.
Lauren Stowell
November 25, 2020 at 5:45 PMThank you so much, Theresa. I've been feeling sortof "obsolete" since YouTube came roaring into the sewing community earlier this year (2020), but I believe there's still a place and use for blogs. Your comment confirms it (I feel all these ways too about having to speed through videos versus step-by-step photos and descriptions), and I'm re-committing in the coming year to blogging more. I've been remiss (so of course the readership has gone down!)
Erika
December 10, 2020 at 7:14 PMOh I completely agree. I'd rather read a blog any time. Youtube goes SO SLOW for me, I hate to listen when I can read so much faster.
caterina
November 24, 2020 at 3:20 PMOh, the new layout is weird. I have to get used to it! And where is the blogroll? I always used your blog as a jump off to new articles on other blogs too, after reading and searching your blog… ou are still a highlight in blogosphere….
Lauren Stowell
November 24, 2020 at 8:55 PMI'm not altogether happy with the new layout either, but I wasn't able to keep the old one – Blogger rejected it and forced me to change. Bleck! I'm a bit annoyed because things like the blogroll aren't supported anymore! But I'll keep trying to find a layout that works better.
Dos Galgos
November 25, 2020 at 1:14 PMYes I too was a bit confused where the blogroll went, and all the empty space. Oh and I miss the lovely AD header too! Bad Blogger for making you change, but persevere we all need you to Blog, especially since some of us refuse to support FaceBook or Youtube…
Lauren Stowell
November 25, 2020 at 5:43 PMThanks, Dos! We're working on fixing the new Blogger issues, and hopefully the more nicely-designed, more functional, less "cold" blog will be back soon.
Monique Venne
November 24, 2020 at 10:48 PMI rely on your blog to help me in my 18th century costume adventure, along with your two books! Burnley and Trowbridge have been doing a lot of videos, but I'd like something I can print as well.
Lauren Stowell
November 25, 2020 at 5:41 PMthank you! I'm making a commitment to blog more in the coming year
Cathy Raymond
November 25, 2020 at 8:13 PMI like blogs better too. You can add more information in a single post, and caption the photos (unlike Instagram). I enjoy Instagram, but it's mostly eye candy–there's too little emphasis on text for it to be real education, unless the poster provides links to other resources.
Lauren Stowell
November 25, 2020 at 9:55 PMI agree. It's pretty hard to go back and find posts from a whole project series. Saved Stories kindof work, but they're not in-depth enough
ZipZip
November 26, 2020 at 2:12 AMOh, do I agree. A blog is a wonderful place to explore a garment or garment type in detail, to add references that are a scroll away, to link to others' work or to museum objects. It uses HTML's strong points – putting text in context with links and images and video and sound. The whole hotdog, chili, cheese, pickles and all…and much more digestible.
It has depth and could hold a novel, or a textbook, or a diary, or essays, or a single image plus haiku.
I love YouTube: seeing costuming and other crafts in process can be super-helpful, and sometimes it's plain fun. However, it appears to take increasingly serious time and skill to put videos together, the more we get used to better production…and so too heavy a lift for many.
Social media is hard to navigate backwards, so it's iffy, in my view, for long-term project recording. Plus, for some folks, me included, there are concerns about how companies run social media apps.
So, blogs. Undemanding, straightforward or complex: whatever you want it to be.
Thanks for the blog roll return: it's a great gateway.
Many thanks and sorry dor long note, Natalie
Lauren Stowell
November 26, 2020 at 6:40 PMIndeed, I agree! Very insightful, Zip. I'll be sure to keep that blogroll going when we update the blog onto a new platform (don't worry, it'll all still be here, just way more functional for me on the back end)
Anonymous
November 26, 2020 at 7:16 PMSo glad that you discovered that you're not obsolete! 🙂 This blog is one of my go-to sites for tutorials and resource ideas when I need to dive down a historical fashion rabbit hole. It's also a lovely source of introductions to new eras and styles I wouldn't have gone off and researched of my own accord. (Like those 18th-century puffy-pants!) Blogs like this one go hand-in-hand with social media and YouTube for a full, well-rounded historical costuming/sewing education.
Looking forward to seeing the new adventures you post–I have now subscribed after reading for five years!
MrsC (Maryanne)
November 27, 2020 at 9:08 PMYay glad you found it. I prefer blogs, I don't like social media style stuff as much Thank you!
sam b
November 29, 2020 at 4:08 AMSo glad to see you commenting again! There are lots of us out here who prefer blogs over podcasts and slideshows, and when you said the other day that blogs were dead, I for one was paranoid you might give up on this one. I do enjoy the American Duchess youtube videos (and I agree with Cathy and Zip about IG), but your blog posts always seem to have the "real" content when I'm looking for how-to's and inspiration.
On a side note, I'm not sure what I think of the new format–kinda like when the grocery store rearranges the shelves–but I definitely miss the old header.
Lauren Stowell
November 30, 2020 at 9:35 PMThank you, Sam! I admit I have not been good about updating. It have been working on projects, but not blogging about them, and then getting sad that blogging seems to be dying – well of course, because I'm not blogging! lol! So I'm recommitting to it from now on.
I also don't like the layout. I'll be changing back-ends here as soon as we get through the Holiday sales craziness, and we can go back to having a nice layout and functionality instead of…whatever this is.
sam b
December 3, 2020 at 12:57 AMGlad to hear you've been working on stuff! I think everyone's experienced a slump at least once this year, and your posts about the phenomenon (and past years' sewing-slump posts, too) have been a big help to a lot of us. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next, whenever you get to it!
Lauren Stowell
December 3, 2020 at 7:23 PMThanks, Sam <3 – yes, definitely a slump for this year, and I agree we should all be giving ourselves a break for not shelling out content. It take a lot of energy! I've been guilty of letting this blog slide into disrepair for longer than just 2020, though. Shame on me!
Black Tulip
December 7, 2020 at 12:02 AMYes to all of this!
yneedcouk
December 8, 2020 at 9:42 AMNice to see your blog