My Crafty Library Part II

All right, so I got some new sewing books, and I am so excited to try them out.  All of the books are by Kenneth King, a highly regarded couturier who is also a teacher, and a very friendly one at that!  (Rant coming below, fyi)  Here's a list of my new books:

• The Moulage
• Birth of a Bustier
• Necklines and Draping
• Dress Lines

So, the moulage is amazing.  It's basically a recipe to make a skin-skimming pseudo-garment out of muslin that you can then disassemble and use to adjust commercial patterns so that they fit.  All commercial patterns for women, for example, are made for B-size cups.  Many women buy larger patterns to accommodate their busts, but then they end up with gaping at the neckline and other unattractive extra fabric everywhere else in the garment. The moulage is also drafted by the sewer themselves, so this is perfect for data-driven, crafty, science nerds like me.  :-) 

What I can't decide is whether I should do the moulage now, so that I can redraft the foundation for my wedding dress.  Here's another thought:  I could use it to make adjustments to the wedding dress now, too, before I "finish" the muslin.  In other words, I can incorporate the changes from the fitting and changes from the moulage all at once.  I might discover why some of the adjustments from the fitting were needed!  Okay, that's decided.

Okay, here's my rant:  Why is it that advanced and couture sewers and teachers (okay, I only have experience with a few, but for the sake of the argument, I am going to include the advanced and expert sewers who have helped me on PatternReview.com and the people who work in the fabric shops--seemingly to extend the amount of time they can dedicate to their craft--I have visited) are friendly and helpful, while expert knitters (and here I'm limiting myself to those who own and work in knitting shops and a few people--not all--that I've met who regard themselves as expert knitters) seem to be self-important, barely to be bothered to condescend to ring up their poor customers?  I get it that most knitters in shops are beginners, but why not take the opportunity to foster knitting as a craft--and your customer base?  Even after I felt that I had mastered knitting (to me, this is being able to make anything I want without having to start over, encompassing all the various techniques, including lace, colorwork, etc.), the shop workers could hardly bring themselves to look in my direction.  On the other hand, even as a novice sewer, and even in New York City, in the fashion district, of all places, people are SO much nicer.  My recommendation: if you're trying to pick a hobby, consider sewing, as the community of sewers is so pleasant!