Ebony Lopez
English 1121 D443
Professor Rosen
Spring 2026
Discourse Communities: The Sewing World and Writing
It’s my belief that fully experiencing a course of study is far more valuable than rote practices, especially as it relates to “Discourse Communities.” Which, I’ve come to understand as distinct groups of people/communicators that can enrich our lives in ways we don’t often consider…as John Paul Gee puts it, being, doing, saying, valuing, and believing are the key features that make us part of an exclusive group. As a member of the sewing discourse community for over two decades, I’m connected to a collective that would otherwise be unreachable. There’s still so much for me to contribute to this group, glean and look forward to!
I’ve identified as a bona fide seamstress from the first stitch of the christening gown I made for my first-born son, not long after I made a custom mother-of-the-graduate dress, wearing it for my second-born son’s kindergarten graduation. These are beloved memories I’ll cherish forever. As mentioned, initially I too, didn’t give much thought to the shared creative work of sewing and belonging to this community beyond my familial connection. Having an idea for a garment spark in mind, the excitement of choosing just the right fabric and gathering all the necessary notions, preparing, working on a pristine sewing machine, and enjoying the entire process is what I thought about! According to linguist John Swales’ framework of discourse communities, the sewing world functions perfectly as an example of a discourse community- I couldn’t agree more. One experience that brought with it a sense of belonging to the sewing community, adding to my confidence as a seamstress, was the time I altered a wedding dress for my friend Terri. Though she and I didn’t start out as friends; we were both members of the P.T.A. (another discourse community I belonged to in the past), at the school our children attended. After a few meetings and arranged playdates, we realized our common interest in fashion and good books. Before long, her partner proposed marriage and the two of them set out planning a special wedding ceremony, which would require a beautiful gown for the occasion. I’d always been committed to an integral role in my children’s education, especially during their elementary and middle school years, volunteering consistently…I was present, usually wearing my very own custom clothing. Periodically, Terri and some of the other moms around campus had seen my makes. Once they learned I’d designed and sewed them, there were compliments, questions, and requests. I’m what some would call a closet seamstress, sewing for personal fulfillment and special occasions mostly. In other words, I didn’t publicize the fact that I’m a seamstress. However, once the news was out, Terri made it clear that she “expected” me to be her official bridal gown seamstress! A few of our other friends even expected photos of the special dress and updates. Naturally, Terri and I spent more time together outside of the school’s scheduled P.T.A. meetings because journey to the best wedding gown for her had begun! There was the plain white gown (sight unseen) she decided to order online, a full-on consultation to be done in order make certain to keep my friend as happy a bride-to-be as possible, body measurements to obtain, careful fabric matching, embellishments to consider, tools and haberdashery. A lot needed to be done and done exceptionally! I’m human, so I checked in with myself every now and then, making sure I was up to the challenge I was presented with. I loved to sew (still do) and there are times when the perfectionist in me competes for the steering wheel, if you know what I mean. In hindsight, acknowledging how I’m prone to fuss over the details is one of the things that helped keep things on track, as time is a very precious resource when sewing and customizing a beautiful wedding dress for a friend, for that matter. In respecting Terri’s wishes and special occasion, I kept the process between us ladies (three members of the wedding party, including me). Each of us got to learn something along the way, and surprisingly enough, toward the end of the process, bust circumference, working with silky fabrics, corset loops and seam allowances became part of the language we shared. “It has become our language of intimacy.” -Amy Tan, 1990. This further validated my belonging to Threads magazine list of subscribers, Vogue Pattern Company as a longtime member, MinervaCrafts.com viewership, and the sewing discourse community at large!
I’ve always had an innate desire to communicate well through my writing- to understand and be understood. Which is why when I decided to return to school, I thought carefully and decided to become an English major. However, to my surprise City Tech had rolled out a new major, Professional and Technical Writing. Decision made! This semester has been a whirlwind and contrary to what some people may think, it’s presented some difficulty for me, especially as life itself persists on challenging each of us at times. Either way, I’m so glad I chose to be a writing major because so far I’ve met some great people (professors included) who are open to being a part of my support network, it’s broadened my general view and capacity to create the life I’m meant to live, reminded me that there is a great writer within, and helped me to feel part of something more promising than I could see prior to now! Playing a role in rebuilding parts of my confidence too. It’s important that I belong to City Tech’s discourse community, as it’s helping me grow into the best academic version of myself, it’s helping to prepare me to encourage and teach others to communicate and inform masterfully. One day soon!
Many thanks to everyone who took the time to read my essay and consider my point of view. Hopefully, it serves as support to the success of discourse communities of all genres. You’ve become my community and now my audience: professors, classmates, needleworkers, and writers alike.
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