I don't usually take the time to reply to negative comments that are left on this blog — why encourage people who are spoiling for a fight? I'm not bothered by their criticism, for the most part (and if it's justified I do try to take it to heart, however unpleasant it may be to do so!). But most of the time replying to negative comments falls under the heading "Never wrestle with a pig. You get dirty and only the pig enjoys it."
However, there have been a few comments on a recent post which I feel I need to respond to, if only for clarification. A commenter, mainly anonymous, but also signing one comment "7/10 split", suggested that I am a "professional what? writer/ advertisers? whose goal is to sell things", and also a "shill."
For the record: I am not a "professional advertiser". I am a writer, but of a very particular kind.
The same commenter (who may be this blogger) also suggested that I don't sew the dresses that I post here. If you would like to see pictures of ME in the dresses I have sewn (and I admit, I don't often post pictures of myself here because, all things considered, I had a better time in labor — and I didn't have an epidural! — than I do having my picture taken) you can see them in five out of the first six pictures here.
(The dresses shown in that link include a Duro, the pink jellybean dress, the blogiversary dress, the stunt Valentine's Dress, and the yellow-bird dress.)
Whether you enjoy my posts or not, I would like to state unequivocally that I do NOT accept money to post about any particular dress, fabric, pattern, pair of shoes, etc. There is NO payola or kickback scheme in effect on this blog.
For book reviews, I am, as is common practice in publishing, often provided with free copies of the book in question, to review or to give away.
The advertisers on the right-hand side are just that: advertisers. They have no influence on content, and I do *not* ask them for free stuff.
I accept pictorial ads ONLY from people who sell patterns, fabric, or vintage clothes, or are otherwise related to sewing. I must approve the ad before it will run. My ad rates are very low; $25/month (with a minimum three-month commitment, because I'm lazy and don't want to be bothered putting up and taking down ads all the time). I also participate in Google's AdSense program, which are the boxed text ads you see on the page, and in the Amazon Associates program, which gives me a commission on books purchased by Amazon customers who clicked on links to books from this blog. (To give you an idea of the revenue from those two sources; my last "payment" from Amazon was a $35 gift certificate which I used … to buy more sewing books. Google pays every two months or so; I think my last check from them was in the $125 range.)
I have set up "Dress a Day Inc" as a LLC company, so that, if I say something libelous and am sued, the company will be the target of any lawsuit (and not my family). This means I file taxes on all the income from this blog — if there is any, after paying hosting fees to my internet service provider.
As for the comments about the sweater in question, I am doing a little research on the subject; the commenter suggested that the sweater probably cost less than $1 to make, and that all the labor involved was sweatshop labor in Asia. I don't think that's right, given that the cost of a pound of even low-grade cotton is about .71 — that's a pound of unspun cotton. From what I can tell, the spinning of one pound of raw cotton fiber produces 840 yards of yarn. That seems to be on the low end of the number of yards you'd need for a sweater — any knitters want to jump in here? — and the sweater I posted about was 14 gauge, which is a fairly fine knit). So, at least .71 in raw materials, plus the spinning cost, plus the fashioning cost, plus the cost of the buttons — I think it would be hard to get the raw goods cost of this garment under $1. Even leaving aside that the garment is made in China (I called and asked) — there's the cost of the coming up with the design, a job almost certainly done by an American at American wages. (J.Crew employs about 7600 people.) The same commenter said that the sweater I linked to could be found in discount stores for under $20; if, in fact, that is the case — why haven't I found it there? It's not like I haven't been looking! Do you factor the salary of the designer into the cost of the sweater? If not, why not? Do you factor in the jobs of the catalog writers (Americans), shop employees (American and for the stores in Japan, Japanese)? The distribution center employees (in Virginia and North Carolina)? The UPS guy who will bring it to me? (Hi Luis!) The short answer, it seems to me, is that a narrow focus on manufacturing jobs is not helpful; if the company can't manufacture goods at a reasonable price, then all those other jobs I mentioned above — they go away, too. Despite conjecture about how much of the price of the sweater is pure profit, large retail chains have VERY small profit margins — one source puts it at 2%. Another source (from 1998!) puts the apparel profit margin at 5.4% … and given the rising costs of commodities since 1998, I can't imagine that margin has gone up.
I apologize for such a long and tedious post, without even any pretty pictures to enliven it; I promise not to make a habit of this kind of thing. However, I do treasure the trust you place in me by visiting this blog, leaving comments, and contributing to a little oasis of dress-loving camaraderie online, and I didn't want to give credence to accusations of shilling, payola, and "blogging under false pretenses" by letting them go by in silence.
(Comments of the kind "all her taste is in her mouth," "this is soooooo ugly lol", and "i cant believe u wear this!" will still be ignored. De gustibus, etc.)
If you ever have any questions about me or this blog, well, my email address is on the right-hand side, towards the bottom. I do try to answer all the email I receive.
A Dress A Day 
Hey, Erin. Love you. Love your work. Love that someone thinks I’m all-the-same-person as you!!! Tee hee.
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I also read your blog regularly and love it! It’s awakened in me a love of vintage dress patterns. I also love sewing but I hadn’t done much of it for myself until I started reading this blog. Now I can barely keep away from my sewing machine :)I have bought $65USD sweaters when a Canadian dollar was worth only $0.80USD! When a person finds the perfect sweater, shoes, pants, jacket, blazer, or anything else, it’s almost always worth buying at full price. The perfect item will last and will be worn a lot so the price is worth it.I love the closeness in the internet sewing community and I’m thrilled to see all of the support for Erin in these comments. I don’t understand why a troll would expect support amongst the regular readers of a popular blog like this. Silly troll!I’m looking forward to seeing more dress posts, more posts about the perfect accessories, and more links. Thanks for writing this blog, Erin. It means a lot to me to read what you write.
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My Sewing Conspiracy Drag Name is Dixie Hoyt.Pretty cool, huh?
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WOW! And I don’t mean this in a good way– Everyone needs to let this go. It is bad karma to put so much negative energy out there. I love Erin’s blog and she has quickly become one of my favorites. She had to make the lines clear on how she handles negative feedback, and everyone has looped around and done the same thing to 7/10 split that Erin is trying to address. PLEASE, everyone take a deep breath and let it go. Stop calling names and being petty– make your opinion and expression count! A simple, “I don’t agree with you 7/10 split, and here’s why……” would suffice.By the way, I wholeheartedly DON’T agree with you 7/10 split.If I had a way to discuss this further with you, I would be happy to. I have always loved a good debate.~Amber
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doh my god, erin- this is insane that people doubt you! DUH everything is true up here! i love dresses, and fallow this thing faithfully, and i love your sense of humor. these kinds of people are really, REALLY icky and you’ve done just the right thing about posting a post dicussing that, because it’s way better to deal w/ a problum then to run away from it- you go, girl!
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I am AMAZED that someone would go to such lengths to HATE on someone else’s blog. I wonder if 7/10 was hurt by that YOUTUBE actress a few years ago…you know what was her name Secretgurl or something? Now 7/10 is on a witch hunt to find other phonies. Frankly does it matter? We all enjoy the posts about dresses and other random things that Erin likes. I believe Erin is real. Some people know that the Enquirer isn’t real and they still enjoy reading it. What difference does it make? Personally I ignore the ads and brand names. Seriously who thinks that these used pattern sellers are making the big bucks doing what they do? Do they have paid minions going to garage sales and thrift stores snatching up patterns at 39 cents each and then painstakingly scanning them into their website to be sold off one by one for a whopping ~$10? I thought the blog was called “A Dress a day: a dress. Mostly every day.” Not “A Dress a day: A homemade dress. Mostly every day.” Maybe 7/10 is an insomniac. My neighbor was and she would obsess/fixate on weird things…and I digress.Anyway it’s obvious this person has read very few of the posts. It’s so sad. America is truly becoming elliterate (I can’t figure out if that is spelled right–it means able to read but choosing not to–different from illiterate).JenL
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Having recently found your blog, I am under the spell of your voice. Thank you for the honesty, the commitment, the steel beneath your sentences, and the sheer joy of design. You are single-handily renewing my faith in women. (Okay, I hadn’t really lost it completely.)Barbara, a new and regular reader
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Brava! Erin, I think you’re just the coolest. I love dresses and I love books. I haven’t learned to sew anything other than a straight line, but I’m going to try this summer. Thanks to you and the community here, I’m just going to do it. =)-Kate (a real live high school English teacher who loves dresses)
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“Sponsored Reviews : Sponsored blog posts are somewhat controversial, but can be very lucrative. There are companies that will pay anywhere from ten dollars to thousands of dollars for blog writers to review their products publicly. If your blog generates a good amount of traffic, and loyal traffic at that, chances are there are companies that will pay you to review their products. Companies like J.Crew.Affiliates :Affiliate marketing is a powerful revenue generation tool, and your website can simply be used as a marketing platform for larger site. Simply choose a topic that you are interested in, and focus all of your content and advertisements on that particular subject. You can then get paid when readers follow links on your site to other larger sites and purchase products and services. The key here is to become an expert in your field, encouraging people to visit your site first to hear your reviews, thoughts, and analysis. Contextual Ads : Contextual advertising, one of the most effective ways to advertise, is geared for effective audience targeting. Advertisers are constantly seeking websites that share their targeted audience. In order to capitalize upon this market, you will need to join a contextual advertising provider like AdSense, Chitika or Yahoo Publisher Network. When you join, your website will automatically update with ads that are related to your content and target audiences interests, and you get paid each time a user clicks through the ad.Lead Generation : Lead generation is similar to affiliate marketing in the essence that you get paid per action, but by selling leads to different companies to then act upon, you can make much more revenue than just having someone click on an ad or get 5% of an affiliate sale. Start off with some lead networks like Hydra Media or Service Magic, then find whats best for your niche. Furthermore, once you begin driving more leads to sales divisions of various companies that convert, you can then negotiate better pay per lead prices and recurring revenue from those leads.” from10 Ways How to Earn Revenue Without Selling LinksNovember 13th, 2007 by Loren Baker, Editor
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See, people get really, really crazy when you threaten their income. It’s hard times in America right now.
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I am just wondering why Anonymous/7/10 split has decided to pick on this particular blog. There are millions of blogs out there that shamelessly do what you are accusing Erin of doing…and if they aren’t promoting some big company they are promoting them selves and their work. As a sewer/patchworker/bag maker I have a list of blogs I follow….don’t we all….they all link to eachother,they link to their own etsy/ebay/web stores and often the post for that day is purely look what’s new in my shop/ look pattern available soon/ look what I found in so and so’s etsy store….link link link…. Blogs have just given another internet platform for advertising and marketing be it by big business or small home based. As in all things in this world you have to look between the adds and the often shameless self promotion and look at the beautiful,or not,things the person has created/made/written/photographed.It’s all in how you see/read it…..isn’t everything in life? For me I choose to read blogs from which I can learn something/ have a laugh/be inspired in my own crafting/creative persuits and simply enjoy looking at lovely things……this is why I choose to read A Dress A Day. It all comes down to choice and as the advertiser’s will tell you is what they are all about. Giving you choices, helping your decision over what washing powder to buy easier because they have told you what’s best. It’s your choice to buy or not to buy mass produced products from some Asian sweat shop. It’s your choice how much you spend on your cardigans…..your choice if you even like wearing them.So why have you taken exception to Erin posting about a special little find she has made of something she loves?….it’s something people do everyday in blogland…..there’s even blogs devoted to the latest finds from your nearest op shop (thrift shop). Would you have commented if she had have found it at an op shop and only paid $2 for it, even though the orignal owner probably paid $65 for it at JC Crew.
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I can’t decide what is sillier. A troll on a sewing blog, or a troll that continues to troll on a sewing blog. *chuckles* Does one build troll chops by starting with niche blogs that cater to a small population and then move into sites like DailyKOS? How does one get satisfaction from trolling a site like this? How does one brag about that?”Dude, I totally made some people who sew vintage patterns go into a tizzy. Score.”It is one thing to raise opinions, it is quite another to harass and belittle the people within without merit. Calling people transvestites knocks your soapbox over. You, like the rest of us commenting, are a guest on this blog. Those within are not your Joe Average gamer forum posters and commenters. You are riling up a group of people who are here merely to enjoy the chat within. Grandmothers and grandfathers, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews. People who are recalling times long past, and people who wish they had seen it with their own eyes (I, like many others here, am of the opinion that I was born way too late and missed out on many of the truly classic fashion periods).The guests on this blog are all fiercely loyal, not only to the author of this blog, but to each other. Many of us have shared tales that we haven’t told our own loved ones. We are a brother and sisterhood of vintage and modern slamming together in the fashion world. We are loyal and proud because we have found like-minded people despite people like yourself(ves) attempting to ruin our good time. We support one another in our choices (most of the time), and if you think that odd….I wholeheartedly hope that you find a group of people as great as the ones we have here that will introduce you to that sort of community.And oh yeah, most of us sew. I don’t. I tried once in a home ec class many years ago and wound up with the worlds ugliest cow patterned bermuda shorts. But I am a groupie. I am an admirer. I am a lover of community. And trolling in a community will illicit such responses. You’ve said what you intended to, made the accusations you wanted to, and you were provided with a response (the original post). So anything further is aggravation for the hell of it. Trolling.We are all well aware that because of the niche-ness (it’s a word now), Erin will get asked to review things time and again and pass it on to her readers. We don’t care. We expect it. We’ve seen it, and we are able to judge her objectivity ourselves. We are all aware that marketing on the internet exists, and I don’t think you are surprising anyone when you state it happens on blogs. We’re adults. We thank you for trying to “save” us, but at this point….we kindly ask that you drop it as you aren’t providing anything new to the conversation. You’re just insulting our character and intelligence….and that is prime troll activity.I’d love to go back to talking about dresses. And shoes. And patterns. And odd body types. And finding the perfect item for all of the above. I do think a linktastic Friday is definitely in order.
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I love your blog, Erin, and come here nearly every day to see what dress you’re going to post about. I am a real live person who sews too. There are thousands if not millions of us out there. It’s not an odd thing to do. There was a time, before ready to wear clothes, when everyone had home-made (or dress-maker made) clothes. You should try sewing, dear 7/10, it’s a wonderful hobby. Better than most hobbies, because you get to wear what you make. Do you have any idea how nice it feels when you wear something that you made? It’s a big boost for one’s self-esteem. There are some wonderful resources on the internet that will help get you started. And the sewing community is extremely helpful–some people have tutorials on their blogs and many go out of their way to help people on sewing message boards. I find sewing extremely relaxing and a way to deal with the stresses and strains of life. I am a happier person because of sewing, and also because of Dress a Day. I love all the vintage patterns and dresses on the blog.
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Angel –AMEN!
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I was laughing myself half to death a moment ago, having read a particular post above that struck me as especially funny. Now, I’m ready to move on. I’m really looking forward to Linktastic Friday.
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I love your blog Erin. I made my first dress through this site and got a passion for sewing as a result. I always check in for ideas and love the 1950’s styles. Sometimes i buy patterns recommended, but mostly i just browse and get ideas and then go off and find my own style. 7/10 split is clearly a troll hung up on some weird consipracy theory and just needs sympathy. Clearly a troubled soul who has no faith in people for being exactly what they say they are. He/She just needs pity. It must be hard to live in such a cynical world. I lvoe the sweater by the way and $65 equates to about 32.50, which is a perfectly reasonable price for a cotton sweater in the UK. Heck, 65 is a perfectly reasonable price for a good sweater over here and that would equate to $130. Classic pieces never go out of style and are worht the investment in my opinion. Too many people buy disposable clothing that costs next to nothing and falls apart at the seams afgter 3 washes only to be put in the garbage for another cheap sweater to replace. Keep well and keep on blogging.
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Hello Erin… I was the Anon the other day who’s post started with this ‘For what I am about to say I need to remain Anon… I used to work in Custom Brokerage, and sadly Anon 3:23 is partly correct.” I worked for FEDEX for 5 1/2 years. I was a customs brokerage analyst. I know what I speak of. I am the one who imported that merchandise into this country. I am the one who charged duties and taxes to the importer for importing said merchandise. I could possibly be sued for stating who I actually am and my comments the other day, but that is irrelevant. Erin I really dont know you personally but I concider you my friend. You did not know it but your bright ray of sunshine called Dress A Day helped me through a very horrible time in my life called a custody hearing and my dad dying and basically my life falling down around me in pieces. You made those 3am all nighters, when sleep would not come less lonely and a lot easier to bare. I thank you. Also I have found many new wonderful blogs/friends through the commenters here. So I thank them for their great blogs that make me laugh and inspire me. Thanks.k
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I found this blog by clicking on the blog roll of another sewist, a real person who sews. I must admit that I didn’t get Erin at first. I didn’t get retro, and now I completely do — I dream of sewing vintage now, and that’s all credit to Erin. But do I want to buy the patterns or brands that Erin blogs about? No. Do I ever feel like she’s blogging to make me want to buy things? No. Does it ever occur to me that maybe I can’t tell that she’s selling because I’m just too naive and gullible? No. You may not credit me with intelligence, but I do have it.The sewing circle in the internet is small-ish (for now, I suspect), and they cross-link to one another, and it’s because every single day these sewing hobby-ists are sharing with, learning from, and mutually encouraging one another. It’s easy to get in touch with them and they’re an amazingly sincere, helpful bunch of people. Ask a sewing question and more likely than not, one of these sewing bloggers will jump in with a helpful suggestion, answer, or link. So it’s not hard for them to make friends with one another, sharing as they do a common love. It’s easy to pick the truly wonderful ones and keep going back to them. Like this blog.It’s not a conspiracy — it’s a community. Inspired by these amazing bloggers, I have just gotten back to sewing myself. I don’t have a blog, but if/when I do, I will link to these blogs I like. Should they want to return the favor and link back to me, I sure would appreciate it. That’s not conspiracy, it’s community.I dont know if Ive been looking at the same blogs youre referring to but I know I have looked closely, and havent seen anyone in drag. Not that I would not read a blog by someone in drag if its about good sewing, but it just isnt there. Ive seen blogs by people who sew, with real bodies, and if theyre not the same shape as promoted by the thin-obsessed fashion culture, well that just shows them to be completely human. The blogs Ive seen with the little agenda which is to sell, are not shy about their business and their products, and most of them can take justifiable pride in well-made, well-thought, well-presented items for sale.Dress a Day just isnt one of those blogs, though Erin talks a lot about patterns and others stuff that are for sale. I havent been sewing a long time but Ive been reading blogs for sometime now. I can tell one from the other.I am just an average reader, and I have read with objectivity the comments here, and yours, too. I have asked myself which are the more reasonable, believable, knowledgable, intelligent, and on topic. Im sorry, but its not you. Most of the reaction to your comment is from people offering support and encouragement to Erin, for the inspiration, information, and enjoyment she gives them. Its not that theyre threatened. They come from disparate enough backgrounds to not be collectively endangered in one fell swoop by a single commenter, no matter how nasty. What you are seeing is friends offering solace to one who is being needlessly and unfairly attacked.Because that is what friends do.That, too, is community.You should belong in one, even if a different one than this sewing community.
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I wander off for a couple of days, and THIS is what happens?Erin, I trust you already know how I feel, by the simple fact that I come here regularly, applaud what you have to offer, marvel at your generosity and general wonderfulness, and do what I can to add my poor mite to the enjoyment, like most of the other folks who come here regularly. I also try to show my respect by Not. Feeding. Teh. Trollz. That, I confess, is the hardest part, and I struggle continually with that.Hey, people? You don’t like what this blog has to offer? You’re free to find one that does. Really. I promise. There are a lot of them out there. If this doesn’t do it for you, leave it for the rest of us. You don’t have to leave your daily dose of miserable here. Leave this blog for those whose differences run along the lines of: short-waisted cardigans, Yay!/Short-waisted cardigans, not so much, and OMG what were they thinking about, putting those buttons right THERE? I respect your right to not be entertained by this blog; please have the same courtesy for those of us who do enjoy it.And NO, Erin is NOT a “shill”! Yeesh.
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I rarely read the comments for bloggers I enjoy regularly. If what THEY (the commenters) wrote was of interest to me, I’d read THEIR blogs! I do enjoy reading A Dress A Day even when I know some of the patterns you write about wouldn’t look good on my figure type. I liked thinking about the sweater you featured even though I prefer long sleeves. I liked the weird ruffles a day or two ago and the pockets several weeks back, though not suitable for me. I enjoy seeing the Liberty of London prints which are so out of my price range it isn’t even funny. In short, I enjoy your column and if you disable comments, I wouldn’t blame you in the least.
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hahaha Threaten their income? Dude, I’ve had more orders than I can keep UP with due to this huge bit of posting.Thank you for bringing people out of the woodworks to see my ad and BUY VINTAGE SEWING PATTERNS FROM ME!Sign Me Can Afford $65 Sweater Now,
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Erin,Don’t let these people get to you. I’ve seen this on the internet, especially in forums A LOT. Is there a word for this? It is the courage and brazenness and RUDEness that people exhibit only on the internet, like “liquid courage”, but its the anonymity of the internet that can bring out the absolute WORST in some people and they use total strangers as a whipping boy for the misery in their lives and themselves.Kara
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In addition to not sewing, I don’t even like vintage, particularly (well, if it were all like the Windsor Set, I might like it more). I just read Erin’s blog because I like the way she writes and what she has to say.Re the 10 Ways to Earn Revenue—Lead Generation is just complete nonsense. Erin already posted that she uses Affiliate Links and Contextual Ads. No one cares. There’s no deception or exploitation there—we all know how those things work. You might think she does Sponsored Posts because there were two new products discussed, fairly close together, but people who read the blog know that the Vans-type shoe and the short-sleeved cardigan have been consistent interests of Erin’s for years. Those aren’t sponsored posts, just coincidences. But to look at one page, some seven posts, of a blog, and pick on that moment to judge the entire thing, is just totally idiotic. There’s archives on this site. There’s a search box. Next time Anon or 7/10 Split or anyone wants to attack any blog, do your research first!
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Please 7/10 or whatever your name would smell as sweet – go away now!My Sewing Conspiracy Drag Name is Flagon Rockhaven.Erin & all these supporters are amazing, positive-energy people.I am a Separate Individual in Canada who likes that kind of thing – so Everyone, have a great Victoria Day week-end!
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Erin, How dare you – liking a sweater and making us all read about it, the nerve! Ha ha.Keep up the good work.helen
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Um,back to the dresses listed in the post, the Valentine stunt dress is beautiful! Were I your size I would offer to buy…
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Another Dress a Day fan here and I’m real! It cracks me up that we’re all apparently the product of Erin’s (admittedly fabulous) imagination. My Sewing Conspiracy Drag Name is Fluffy Wellington.
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I commend what I see as integrity in Erin’s blog. I think that anyone who has read her posts can feel that she is genuinely passionate about what she writes, and she is broadminded as well as humble and open to all points of view. Her links, ads or not, have provide, for me anyway, an interesting foray into the world of vintage patterns which I was not aware of before I started reading the blog. I personally love the idea of mixing past and present– which is one of themes of Erin’s writing. I love her inquiring mind, her positive energy and generosity towards her readers.We are ALL examining cultural and economic values at this time– in a very complex world– deciding what works for us, both locally and globally. It is hard to know! Blogs should create a space for open dialogue, not finger pointing. Keep up the good work Erin. Be brave, be yourself!
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Erin-fr what it’s worth I want to state for the record I in no way work for the fashion/sewing industry, and I can’t even sew, but I really love your blog. Thanks for bringing us a little entertainment each day. And for the record I’d pay $165 for a cardigan if i really loved it.Rock on.
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Hi, I like your blog, too :)I think it’s funny that we are ballot stuffing. I mean really, walk into a cat lovers convention and ask them to vote between dogs and cats, then have the audacity to complain about the cat being given an unfair advantage when it wins.Especially since 7/10 is very obviously posting under 7/10 and anonymous, maybe that is why they don’t believe that we are all different people.Just a thought.
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Er, as always I’m a little late to this, but I will attest, that Erin sews her own stuff. I was lucky enough to win a dress from this website that Erin made (that my daughter Erin believes is HERS and HERS ALONE because her NAME ~ Erin ~ is on the tag) and it’s pretty fabulous. And Erin, thanks for the clarification, because although I’ve never given your advertising a second thought except to occasionally click through the links to check things out, it’s nice to know your policy.
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I’m with susan w. and everyone else who said to ignore.I had to deal with someone like this in real life who started making trouble for people who’d been working together on a community project. Although at first we didn’t see it, he fit the profile of someone who feeds off making people angry, so the more anyone responded to him in any way whatsoever, the more he tried to provoke the individuals he had targetted and everyone who leapt to their defence. He tried to play off those who said they felt sorry for him against those who wouldn’t play in an attempt to undermine the latter’s credibility. He even tried (unsuccessfully) to have someone he had been persecuting legally accused of doing what he had in fact been doing. It all turned out to be a power play in his attempt to take over the group’s agenda because no one else agreed with what he wanted to have happen. He didn’t go away until everyone agreed to ignore him, and finally – without exception – did, even though it was very hard to shut up and turn away.
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I hate to add another comment, but my Sewing Conspiracy Drag Name is Dottie Defiance. Which is just way too awesome not to comment on.
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Sewing Drag Name is Velvet Plaza (that’s sounds so very dirty…oh dear!)
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Erin, I adore your blog. Onward!
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As someone who has spent the better part of his life antagonizing Erin, based on my experience it is not a good idea to push her too far. Especially when she is right and can prove it.Having lost countless arguments and resigning in defeat with witty remarks like; “nuhhh uhhh”, “you are”, and my favorite, “you’re just a dork”.I have come to the realization now that I am a mostly grown adult; that my older sister is not only the smartest person that i have ever met, but also still a dork!!!HeheheMattThe Little Brother
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In parting, I’d like to say that I owe this site a debt of gratitude. If you read my blog, which I had removed from the internet, you can see that I have been wondering for a long time just how the internet worked. Thanks to this experience, I think I’m a lot closer to understanding it. It all has to do with Google/Wikipedia/ commerce and control . I know I’ll never go to any site with the naive belief that it is just a regular, unaffiliated person, with an interest or idea that they’d like to share. And, if there are any other people out there like myself, who don’t really understand what these sites are all about, I’m sure my experience will be a real eye opener for them also. See the 200 or so comments are basically all the same person, that is, the group or entity who is running things. And, if the goal is sales and marketing, well it seems like you are driving off your ‘marks’ ie. the people you’re trying to scam. But, then maybe there are enough of you to click on each other’s crap enough to still make money, I’m not sure about that part. It would seem, based on this craziness, that it is vitally important to your operation that the marks never get an inkling of what’s going on. But, I am more convinced than ever that there is no person Erin McKean. She is a complete fabrication, as are all of the people fronting Google’s blog sites. So, all of this silliness is kind of like being in the Wonderwoman or Superman fan club.Aw, but you all know that.
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Inside Dress a Day, we are everyone and we are no one…
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Erin – I love your blog. I don’t sew but I hope to one day. You share great ideas and you have always responded to my e-mails. I really appreciate that. I also enjoy your writing. I wish “The Secret Lives of Dresses” would be published as a book of short stories. 7/10 split – seriously? I am just an average reader. Quite frankly I find your comments nebulous and confounded.
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My Sewing Conspiracy Drag Name is Stasia Morrison. And imagine my surprise to learn I’m also a complete fabrication! hahahahaha Funniest thing I’ve heard all day.
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It’s surreal isn’t it? As if one person would go to so much trouble to fabricate all these comments and sites.Is it too much to believe that this isn’t some big conspiracy and we’re just simply readers of Erin’s excellent blog?
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Wow. Undiagnosed/untreated mental illness is no joke, people. 7/10 split, please seek help.
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We are the Sewing Borg. Lower your Bust Points and add Ease to your Hips. We will add your Notions and Vogue Couturier Pattern Collections to our own. Your pattern adjustments will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile.Signed, Snipper Henszey, Conspiracy Member
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librarylady wins. Signed,Aztec BellaVistaConspirator.
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Dear conspirators,I have created a picture to honour our great leader. We, the Sewing Borg (aka FRA) shall conquer the world (or at least a few fabric emporiums and vintage pattern sites).Signed,Fluffy WellingtonConspirator
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I’ve been inspired to make a few macros:The Vast Sewing Conspiracy!
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If all the people who read Erin’s blog don’t actually exist, I’d like to know why my hit count went thru the roof on the two days she was kind enough to link to me.Brunhilde Cambridge(my drag queen name…I’m staying anonymous to keep my blog counter honest)
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Erin-I’ve enjoyed your blog for a long time and have linked entries to friends who then have started reading it. “resistance is futile”–melissa joy (my sewing drag name is Miss Spooky Pajamas)
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I’ve never heard Teresa of Making Light referred to as a “Gentle Moderator.” She is the moderator with the spine of steel. I have to admit, that’s the first website I visit every day. This is second. :)Anyway, found this blog about two years ago now – took a community sewing class, have made a couple of pillowcases, a Duro style dress, and am finishing my first ever button up shirt now (collars are hard, y’all!), and have NEVER bought anything from a link on this website. (er, mostly because I have no idea what my bust measurement would be on those vintage dress links, but still.)Signed, Cinnamon Sauve, conspirator
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7/10Split:Why is it soo hard to believe that with over 6.5 B I L L I O N people in the world, that there are so many people who like to read about sewing? I find it a lot harder to believe that there are only 1 million people running things on the internet. If 7/10 thinks that one person/group/entity would spend so much time creating multiple names just to argue with HIM/HER, then I say someone has a big head.This whole saga has given me a lot of entertainment over the past few days–reading Anon._7/10’s comments (which started out…believable at least) and then reading the lucid, solid responses, and watching as 7/10’s responses became more and more deranged. 7/10 complained that his/her comments were being misquoted and unadressed, but that is not true. S/he says this community is (basically) dense; well, what do you call someone who doesn’t listen to reason and is a confirmed conspiracy theorist?Anyway, it’s been quite entertaining–sad yes, but entertaining.An Anon. said people in this community have no lives, but obviously our lives are just filled with much more interesting things than 7/10 or the Anons.Rock on people, this site is great fun to visit (even being a non-sewer).Princess HeritageTertiary Adjunct of Sewing Conspiracy Zero One
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