Some things are harder to teach than others.
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Some things are harder to teach than others. One of the most difficult things to explain is "how to start sewing without putting a knot at the end of the thread."
Like many tasks that I stumble over when teaching I made the fatal mistake of thinking "this is easy"
I think I need to draw diagrams?
What makes it worse is it's not that important when you are sewing a book signature how you "knot the thread" since it will be covered in glue later.
My students want an "Official Procedure"
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Some things are harder to teach than others. One of the most difficult things to explain is "how to start sewing without putting a knot at the end of the thread."
Like many tasks that I stumble over when teaching I made the fatal mistake of thinking "this is easy"
I think I need to draw diagrams?
What makes it worse is it's not that important when you are sewing a book signature how you "knot the thread" since it will be covered in glue later.
My students want an "Official Procedure"
I think this dynamic of people learning a task wanting formal official steps leads to people thinking that there is "One Right Way" to do tasks that can be done in many ways.
A frustrated teacher formalizes something that just isn't formal to avoid having everyone bugging her over and over "but how do I start it? how do I knot it?"
Will I cause someone in 20 years to be told "That's the Wrong Way to do it."
hmmm
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I think this dynamic of people learning a task wanting formal official steps leads to people thinking that there is "One Right Way" to do tasks that can be done in many ways.
A frustrated teacher formalizes something that just isn't formal to avoid having everyone bugging her over and over "but how do I start it? how do I knot it?"
Will I cause someone in 20 years to be told "That's the Wrong Way to do it."
hmmm
@futurebird tying shoes is like this. I thought my mom taught me The One Way To Tie Shoes. Then I met my wife and she had a completely different way of tying her shoes. When we had kids we each taught them our own separate ways of shoe-tying. Now that they are grown up I am dying to watch them tie their shoes to see which method they went with.
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I think this dynamic of people learning a task wanting formal official steps leads to people thinking that there is "One Right Way" to do tasks that can be done in many ways.
A frustrated teacher formalizes something that just isn't formal to avoid having everyone bugging her over and over "but how do I start it? how do I knot it?"
Will I cause someone in 20 years to be told "That's the Wrong Way to do it."
hmmm
Slightly different context, but I think it relates to something that I do at work.
We have "standard operating procedures" vs. "knowledge".
The "standard operating procedure" is how we do things at this company, in this team, etc.
Because if it is only done one way, then "debugging" it becomes easier.That there might be many different ways of achieving the same result might then be more "knowledge".
(This separation is done almost nowhere, which I personally find a bit confusing.)
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@futurebird tying shoes is like this. I thought my mom taught me The One Way To Tie Shoes. Then I met my wife and she had a completely different way of tying her shoes. When we had kids we each taught them our own separate ways of shoe-tying. Now that they are grown up I am dying to watch them tie their shoes to see which method they went with.
@bucknam @futurebird what? You don't have to have a knot to start sewing?
I just learned about better ways of tying shoelaces which don't come undone as much. I used to have to re-tie every few hours.
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@futurebird tying shoes is like this. I thought my mom taught me The One Way To Tie Shoes. Then I met my wife and she had a completely different way of tying her shoes. When we had kids we each taught them our own separate ways of shoe-tying. Now that they are grown up I am dying to watch them tie their shoes to see which method they went with.
@bucknam @futurebird I learned a new way to tie my shoes in my 20s! Then it turns out that new way was how my wife and her sisters learned to begin with.
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@bucknam @futurebird what? You don't have to have a knot to start sewing?
I just learned about better ways of tying shoelaces which don't come undone as much. I used to have to re-tie every few hours.
Yes, knots are overrated in much of sewing. Or rather by stitching so the thread overlaps and has friction with itself you can make a sturdy anchor without the problems a bulky knot might cause.
A knot probably should never be what is holding a book or garment together. It's too easy for it to pop through the hole and come apart.
Knots are psychological crutches.
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Yes, knots are overrated in much of sewing. Or rather by stitching so the thread overlaps and has friction with itself you can make a sturdy anchor without the problems a bulky knot might cause.
A knot probably should never be what is holding a book or garment together. It's too easy for it to pop through the hole and come apart.
Knots are psychological crutches.
@futurebird @va2lam @bucknam
I would really like a diagram of a way to do that... -
Yes, knots are overrated in much of sewing. Or rather by stitching so the thread overlaps and has friction with itself you can make a sturdy anchor without the problems a bulky knot might cause.
A knot probably should never be what is holding a book or garment together. It's too easy for it to pop through the hole and come apart.
Knots are psychological crutches.
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Yes, knots are overrated in much of sewing. Or rather by stitching so the thread overlaps and has friction with itself you can make a sturdy anchor without the problems a bulky knot might cause.
A knot probably should never be what is holding a book or garment together. It's too easy for it to pop through the hole and come apart.
Knots are psychological crutches.
@futurebird I'd love to learn that. @va2lam @bucknam
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I think this dynamic of people learning a task wanting formal official steps leads to people thinking that there is "One Right Way" to do tasks that can be done in many ways.
A frustrated teacher formalizes something that just isn't formal to avoid having everyone bugging her over and over "but how do I start it? how do I knot it?"
Will I cause someone in 20 years to be told "That's the Wrong Way to do it."
hmmm
@futurebird “book sewing approach #3562 of #?, NY 2026” or some such
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@futurebird tying shoes is like this. I thought my mom taught me The One Way To Tie Shoes. Then I met my wife and she had a completely different way of tying her shoes. When we had kids we each taught them our own separate ways of shoe-tying. Now that they are grown up I am dying to watch them tie their shoes to see which method they went with.
@bucknam @futurebird One of my favorite assignments for graphic design students was to create illustrated instructions on tying shoes.
They were eager for an easy assignment because they knew how to tie shoes. They were always surprised at the difficulty. After they turned it in we would debrief. I would always make a point of saying this kind of like making a rubric for a class. -
I think this dynamic of people learning a task wanting formal official steps leads to people thinking that there is "One Right Way" to do tasks that can be done in many ways.
A frustrated teacher formalizes something that just isn't formal to avoid having everyone bugging her over and over "but how do I start it? how do I knot it?"
Will I cause someone in 20 years to be told "That's the Wrong Way to do it."
hmmm
@futurebird I have a new-hire mentee that I keep having the same conversation with
him: should I do it by X?
me: sure. Y is also fine.
him: I don't understandI mean....yeah, that's clear and is also the problem. I'm not going to micromanage your keystroke by keystroke.
**I need you to understand the task.**
Only then will "instructions" make sense.
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@futurebird @va2lam @bucknam
I would really like a diagram of a way to do that...OK I've tried to draw it.
Do not overthink the details of these diagrams. Consider the difference between using a knot to hold the thread vs. using friction.
Friction is often a better, more robust solution. There are many ways to start sewing. Just overlap your stitches, back-stitch a few times until you feel it will not slide out.
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OK I've tried to draw it.
Do not overthink the details of these diagrams. Consider the difference between using a knot to hold the thread vs. using friction.
Friction is often a better, more robust solution. There are many ways to start sewing. Just overlap your stitches, back-stitch a few times until you feel it will not slide out.
@futurebird @Anke @bucknam that's sort of how I finish sewing!
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@futurebird @Anke @bucknam that's sort of how I finish sewing!
It's how I start and finish and I thought "everyone knew this" (because I learned to do this when I was so young I can't remember being taught... one might call it "instinct")
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OK I've tried to draw it.
Do not overthink the details of these diagrams. Consider the difference between using a knot to hold the thread vs. using friction.
Friction is often a better, more robust solution. There are many ways to start sewing. Just overlap your stitches, back-stitch a few times until you feel it will not slide out.
@futurebird Thank you!
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@futurebird @Anke @bucknam I was definitely taught, by a teacher maybe?
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@futurebird @Anke @bucknam I was definitely taught, by a teacher maybe?
My mom or grandmother taught me. But I was like 3. I have no memory of it.
It's really hard to teach things that you don't remember needing to learn. But it can be done!
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I think this dynamic of people learning a task wanting formal official steps leads to people thinking that there is "One Right Way" to do tasks that can be done in many ways.
A frustrated teacher formalizes something that just isn't formal to avoid having everyone bugging her over and over "but how do I start it? how do I knot it?"
Will I cause someone in 20 years to be told "That's the Wrong Way to do it."
hmmm
you'll do a lot better than the Ontario education system did when i was in it. they teach that there is only One Way, and if you do things Some Other Way, you will be punished for it.
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