From: csanoy@bcars689.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Cynthia Sanoy)
Subject: Explaining rec.crafts.textiles to non-netters, (was Re: Threads)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research, Ottawa, Canada
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 22:00:35 GMT

In article <1ii4mrINNo9k@terminator.rs.itd.umich.edu>, vln@icpsr.umich.edu (Victoria Neff) writes:
|> In article <1993Jan07.151023.7378@microsoft.com> linnco@microsoft.com (Linn Compton) writes:
|> 
|> I bought some fabric today in our local fancy-fabric store, and I told the
|> owner that these newsgroups exist.  This was totally outside her knowledge.
|> I mentioned that there's a quilting list that keeps track of special
|> fabric stores, and that she was on the list....  She was sort of overwhelmed,
                                                    ============================
|> I think, that all this was going on and she had no idea.....
|> 
|> 

Being a big fan of usenet, rec.crafts.textiles and rec.sewing, I talk about it 
quite a lot. Non-netters are usually amazed, awed and a little envious of the 
access I have to the net. Depending on the level of computer literacy, my
ability to communicate (which vacillates between crystal clear explanations
and getting a lot of blank looks), and the situation, most people I talk to
about the discussions in this group are absolutely amazed about all of the 
gossipy info that gets spread around.

Take last night for example. I noticed that our local White Rose (plant nursery 
and crafting supplies chain up here in Ontario and Quebec. May be in other parts
of Canada, but I've never seen it west of Ontario.) was having a sale on DMC
embroidery threads this week. So I beedled off to the local store and actually
had to wait in line in order to be able to get at the floss (35 cents Canadian is
a really good price compared to the normal 69 or 79 cents per skein).  I was 
chatting with a lady in the lineup who was complaining that the designers of 
crossstitch patterns must be in cahoots with the manufacturers of the threads. Why
else would you have 57 different colours in a small pattern, some only being needed
for five or so stitches.   I distinctly remember a similar thread (pun sort of intended)
here a few months ago. I relayed some of what I could remember of the discussion to her, 
and how I had come to know about it. She was suitably convinced that she was missing 
out on something good here.

And then there was the conversation I had with the editor of Quilting Canada. A week
previous there had been a request on the net for info about Canadian crafting magazines
(someone in California was asking, I think).  I told the editor about the exposure and
crafters support group that was available on the net, and explained a little about
what was required to get access. She said she would have to check it out... 
 
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Cynthia Sanoy                    |   #include <std/disclaimer>
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Newsgroups: rec.crafts.textiles