In this age of social media, YouTube, as a video platform, is very good for learning new skills or perfecting the ones we already have. It was founded in 2005 for other purposes and you can find everything and any topic that inspires you. What we do need to consider is what we want to emulate and who we want to learn from.
In last September’s issue, I told you about my favorite YouTube vlogging channels. On this occasion, I’m going to share with you information about tutorial channels. There are many YouTube channels dedicated to sewing tutorials. However, the reality is that not everyone is a good resource to perfect or learn new techniques. Not to mention, not all people willing to teach through this tool have the skill to teach. And you may be wondering, what elements distinguish a good channel from a not-so-good one? I can list several elements, but I will focus on the 3 that I consider most important:
In my experience, I believe that the following «YouTubers» fully comply with the elements described above and that is why I venture to share them with you:
Thoughtful Creativity: Alisa is just great at what she does. She quit her job to devote herself fully to sewing and sharing her knowledge with others. She has over 300,000 subscribers to her channel. She is self-taught and has been sewing since she was a child. The tutorials range from the simplest to the most complex. Alisa explains them in a simple way and, if you have any doubts, you simply comment on them and she answer. Her charisma and understanding of the techniques she teaches are extraordinary. She collaborates with Mari de Jesús in the «Dress a Girl» Project, not only sewing dresses for the girls, but also sharing free patterns that she has made for her girl, so that it can be used for the project.
Menudo Numerito: Lucia Chacón is Spanish. She has 1.47 million subscribers. Her channel has received several awards in Spain. She studied translation and interpreting at the University of Granada. She worked as a documentary filmmaker. Her passion for sewing led her to start a blog in 2011. In 2012 she started her YouTube™ channel dedicated to sewing. The tutorials are diverse and her explanations are simple. In addition, she is a writer of novels. Lucia has published two, and yes, you guessed it… they are related to sewing.
The Sewing Room Channel: Sherrill Yi Donoy has more than 260,000 subscribers. She was a teacher and has an incredible ability to transmit her knowledge. Sherill has gone through difficult health situations. She had a stroke (CVA) that left her unable to move her right hand. Due to this situation, she has looked for ways to make sewing easier. She sews everything. Her tutorials range from clothing sewing techniques, quilting, accessories and decoration. She publishes three videos weekly. One of them, every Wednesday, called «tip of the week».
Just Get it Done Quilts: Karen Brown is from Canada and is a quilter. She has more than 400,000 followers. She also is offered workshops related to quilting, including cruise trips. Karen’s tutorials on quilting and sewing techniques are excellent. At the beginning of the year she usually does the 21-day «Declutter Challenge», where she teaches you everything about organization in sewing. The purpose is to make room for the new.
Entre Manos: Paz Rodríguez is a Spanish woman from Lanzarote. From her mother she learned about sewing. She studied art and was a teacher. She quit her job to devote herself fully to sewing. She owns a store where, in addition to selling fabrics and accessories, she offers sewing workshops. Paz has more than 325,000 subscribers. Her channel is dedicated to home sewing, accessories and quilting. Their tutorials are distinguished by their simple yet precise techniques.
Professor Pincushion: Tova Opatrny has been sewing since she was a teenager. In 2009 he co-founded her website and YouTube™ channel. Her work has been recognized in several magazines such as Good Housekeeping and Cosmopolitan. She resides in Oregon. Her channel is dedicated to sewing techniques and has more than 550,000 subscribers. In 2022, she published her first book titled «Beginner Guide to Sewing.»
OklaRoots: Jess Blackman is a Florida resident and software engineer. He has about 185,000 subscribers. Also, has an online store. Her tutorials are mainly aimed at sewing bags and accessories in general. What I like about it is that Jess uses patterns from different companies and does the evaluations of these. She goes step by step. If she makes a mistake or if she understands that the way she does it can be improved, she says so, so that when you work on it you can benefit from it.
Evelyn Wood: Evelyn Wood studied fashion design and is completely dedicated to sewing. She resides in Australia. What caught my attention about the channel was Evelyn’s focus on vintage techniques. Evelyn has an online sewing school where she emphasizes «vintage» techniques. In some videos she shows how old pieces have been built. Also, practice sustainable sewing. She is passionate about teaching others about sewing. Although she has already been declared cancer-free, her channel is currently on pause because she is on sabbatical due to her treatment for breast cancer.
Without a doubt, for me these channels have been a source of inspiration and help in my journey through sewing. Sometimes it happens that we don’t feel like sewing, but we can do things related to sewing that help us improve our techniques or discover new ways of doing things. I recommend you take time not only to sew, but to learn about sewing.
If you are as passionate about sewing as I am, I invite you to subscribe to Sirena Elite. At the Club you will learn new sewing techniques and other manual arts. And the best part? You will share with people who, like you, love sewing. By subscribing to the club, you get one free digital pattern per month and many other benefits. Join today and enjoy two weeks free by clicking here.
Until next time,
Isabel Hernández
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