Sewer or Sewist?
 

Way back when, someone who did sewing was a sewer - not to be confused with the dirty water system.

Now, I am seeing someone that sews as a "sewist"?

Do you have preference for how what you want to be called?

I think of "sew" as a verb, whereas "quilt" can be a noun or a verb.

It seems like "-ist" or "-er" is added to indicate "one who does whatever"

But it does not seem to be consistent. Is there a rhyme or reason?

I like sewist because it won't get confused with dirty water..even by the Standells Just my opion though.

I also prefer sewist. But here's a good read https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2...er-sewist.html

Since I now only make quilts I refer to myself as a quilter.

I too am "just" a quilter. I no longer mend, hem, cover, or otherwise deal with fabric except cottons and a 1/4" seam :p

i started to sew at three. my neighbor had a wonderful box of buttons. Remember Charles Chips tins?
well, I wanted those buttons, My neighbor, Aunt Betty, said i could have them, but i had t sew them down to fabric.
so, out came the big darning needle with some thick thread, and i learned how to sew a button down.
OMG, I was hooked. at 7, i started to sew squares together. Never made much of it, but it was a start.
by 12, i was sewing all my cloths. babysitting to make money to go to the fabric store to buy fabric for cloths.
in 7th grade, for my Confirmation, I made my own short sleeved dress. it was beautiful.
I quilt, a lot, and started very early, before quilting was a thing to do. I had to ouse fabric scraps and stuff in
the stores that were mainly calicos. The other day, a woman i sew with, told me i was a terrible sewer!!!
The only thing i could say to her was that i won 2nd and 3rd bet overall at the first quilt show i entered.
How dare she! I'm a sewer, quilter and I try to encourge anyone who wants to learn. I've also taught quilting.

Love your sewing story, lynnie! I have just started letting my three yr old daughter try sewing with plastic canvas and a blunt needle. I am trying to get her to sew smaller stitches, but she says "Oh, I can't do that!" Lol!

Did the term "seamstress" go out of fashion? I though that was what someone who knew how to sew was called? Maybe I'm just getting old.

Lynnie- someone said that to you? Wow, how mean!!!

I don't care what people call me. Sewer, sewist, quilter, knitter etc. There are a lot of worse names to be called :D

I use the word seamstress, not sewer or sewist. Actually never heard of 'sewist' until this thread, and my auto correct doesn't like the word either. It keeps trying to replace the word with sexist! Oops! :D

What is the difference between a "tailor" and a "seamstress"?

In my mind, a "tailor", usually a male, usually worked with men's clothing; and a "seamstress", usually a female, worked with women's and children's clothing. (This idea may or may not be correct - but it's what I have thought.)



(I have seen a lot of seam-stress in some of the tight jeans that some people wear!)

I much prefer to be a quilter or seamstress. I do make some clothing as well as quilts so both names describe what I do.

Sewist is what I prefer. I recently worked with Louis Vuitton, manufacturing side, on a new workshop. Their "sewists" are called "Artisans". I guess we are all sewists, quilters and artisans. If you are sewing, Sewist, if you are quilting, "Quilter, if you are creating/designing, you are an Artisan. Whatever we call ourselves we are talented.

I have always considered myself a seamstress.

A tailor is a seamstress on steroids!

nope I remember it well, had an aunt that was a seamstress,

sewing clothing I am referred to as a seamstress. If making a quilt a quilter I am. if sewing a craft then a crafter I have become. Any other sewing just to run the sewing machine I believe I would like to be referred to as a sewing fanatic.

I prefer to call myself a quilter, since 98% of what I do at a sewing machine is quilt.
I think of a tailor as a man who sews and alters apparel, while a seamstress is a woman who sews and alters apparel.

I don’t care for “sewer” but am warming to the term, as “seamstress” sounds outdated, much like “actress”; today’s female film stars wish to be called actors.
Sewist? That just sounds corny to me.

I agree with SusieQOH

Lynnie, you are not a terrible sewer or sewist by any means.
my Mother would have been a seamstress. she didn't quilt at all but could make a wedding gown by looking at one. I never had that much talent.

I refer to myself as a "sewist" not a sewer. I make childrens' clothes, my clothes, cushion covers, small items such as potholders, tote bags, tissue covers etc as well as quilts so to me seamstress or quilter do not cover all those things whereas sewist seems to encompass all sorts of sewing.

I don't really care what people call me! :D

I went to a trunk show/lecture Nancy Zieman did about 4 years ago. She used the term "sewist" and commented that she liked it better than "sewer". So I have used "sewist" ever since. If Nancy liked it better, I like it better!

I could be "just a quilt-er-ist", I suppose, but, as a designer, historian, intructor, speaker, I am a sew"ist" because I am an art"ist".

Jan in VA

I am a seamstress, 55 years plus, thanks to my mother in law. My mother in law was a seamstress for 85 years plus. She started sewing when she was 5. I knew how to sew from age 10, because of 4-H but never was hit by the bug until after I was married a couple of years. I have made everything from skirts to mens sportsjackets and pillow cases to quilts. My maternal grandmother was a sewing teacher and taught machine embroidery starting back in the 40's (with Necchi and Elna machines). My paternal grandmother was a farm wife and seamstress. There wasn"t much she didn't make for her family of 8 and then grands and great grands, from clothing to home decor. That included quilts or comforters as she called them. All Christmas presents were homemade, usually flannel shirts for all. That was lots of shirts.

I like "fabric artist". :D

I prefer seamstress.

I read 'sewer' as the foul water word, it doesn't seem to want to be related to sewing in my brain, even in this thread I kept reading it wrong causing a couple laughs. So I'll go with seamstress for a person who sews clothes and such.

I also sewed at a young age. Sewing for others since I was about 12. Sewing for a couple of my teachers in high school I was considered a seamstress. I rarely do clothing anymore and do not want to be called a seamstress. People think I am willing to sew or mend anything they want. My preference is quilting now so I will call myself a quilter...

I prefer the term Seamstress.

AZ you are not getting old, we are in our prime. :)

Historian Jan in VA? Fabric or other?

Fabrics and quilts history, Leon. Been fascinated since early in my quilting career, late 1980s, I guess.

Jan in VA

Sewist seems to be a term being used by many who sew. I don’t mind. I am also a quilter. Another term I hear a lot is a maker. I like that one since I make a lot of different things.