How to Get Sewing Articles Published

*Shakes dust off shoulders* Hi again. I have not fallen off the face of the earth as you may have suspected. It's just been a crazy spring. Between parents visiting, having sewing deadlines, and being sick for 75% of the last three months it's been what you might *lovingly* call hectic.

But hey, this is cool:

Check that out. They made that badge for me to put up on my blog. I feel so official.

I love writing for Sew News. I worked as Associate Editor for them for 3 years and am so grateful I can continue my relationship with them. The ladies who work there are wonderful people. I get to sew, which I love, I get to help others learn how to sew, how cool is that, and I get paid for it!?! Win-Win-Win

Here are two of my projects from the Feb/March '17 issue:

The day I get a project on the cover-- I won't rest until I make it happen-- I might spontaneously combust.

If you know how to sew and have fun designing your own projects, you can send in queries to get your project and accompanying instructions published in the magazine, for fair compensation of course. Check out their query guidelines here.

If you'd like to query but don't know where to start, contact them to get on their contributor email list. You'll receive Call for Editorial emails, which provide a mood board and a jumping off point for the types of projects they're looking for.

(Machine embroiderers make sure to query to Creative Machine Embroidery magazine, which will be included in the Call for Editorial emails.)

Here are some tips for writing queries, from someone who has waded through them to choose projects for the magazine:

• Be specific. Identify preferred fabric and color choices. This is something they may work with you on, but it's good to have a place to start.
• Be unique. What technique are you going to teach that isn't something people see every day? 
• Provide detail photos. If there's something on the J Crew site you're copying a detail from, include a picture of it. Make sure to identify in the notes or on the picture what detail you're capturing. Include some sketches of the design as well, identifying inner details and seaming details.
• Be professional. Send each query in separate word or pdf documents as attachments. Include in the body of the email a nice letter, detailing your sewing experience. Once you send in your query, wait patiently. If it's chosen they will email you. If it's not chosen they will email you to thank you. And keep sending in your ideas! They love having a great pool to choose from, and if your project isn't right for the current issue, they may even keep it for consideration for a later date.

If you can sew and think it would be cool to see your projects professionally photographed in a nationally-distributed magazine (which it is), send in a query! You've got nothing to lose!