You may be wondering: “what’s a bookstagram” and “what do books have to do with bridal seamstress work?”

Well, there is an endless list of reasons why I love being a bridal seamstress and my own boss. Some of the more obvious ones are that I love working with brides and providing a practical service that feels magical and lets me be artistic.

But one of my favorite parts of my business and sewing studio environment that you might not expect (alongside letting myself wear leggings to work)… is audiobooks. 

A bookish bridal seamstress

I often describe myself as a social introvert. I charge my internal battery with cozy solitude, but I still LOVE people. So while I am content to be a home-based solo entrepreneur, I’m not a fan of radio silence while working. And I still crave feeling connected to others. 

I love podcasts but I’ve been listening for years and new content of what I’m into is pretty limited. And sometimes music helps but I find myself fiddling with my playlists and getting tired of trying to find something new to listen to so that my favorites didn’t become dull or annoying. Plus when you’re a bridal seamstress working with your hands and trying to sew effectively and efficiently, messing with the Spotify app on your phone isn’t ideal. It only took a couple of days working from home for me to decide music wasn’t helping me. So I decided to try listening to a book.

Magic combination

And that’s when everything clicked. I’ve always loved books and literature, but I am admittedly a slow reader. Yet something about hearing the words is no struggle at all. A large part of sewing is muscle memory. And because I typically listen to books at 1.25x the speed, it helps me keep a steady pace sewing. Not to mention feeling connected to people while expanding my horizons makes it feel all the more charming.

I started working as an independent bridal seamstress in April of 2022. And by the end of that first year I’d listened to 58 different books. I couldn’t believe it. Not since I was a kid reading picture books had I ever read so many in one year. It had become such a vital part of my sewing process, I knew I wanted to include it in my brand and find a way to share about it.

A silly, spooky pun

I’m not really a good reads person – people be hyper critical – and the artist in me naturally wanted something more visual. I began thinking about creating an Instagram account to use like a diary to hype up books I was enjoying. And that’s when I discovered “bookstagram.”

As soon as I began considering instagramming about my reading journey, I happily discovered there’s already a large and friendly community of people who do just that. It was an easy choice for me, and because I’m a nerdy lady I just had to think of a good pun for my handle. I struggled a bit because I listen to podcasts and books and wanted my name to apply to both. But since I love spooky things and Halloween, it makes sense I landed on I Hear Words Talk. 

Sharing what I love, while doing what I love

I will admit, it’s taken some time for me to find my groove. Initially I dove in and was having so much fun with it. But amidst moving from CA to MO and setting my business up in a new city… it got lost in the shuffle. And I don’t really consider myself a content creator because I don’t have the energy to be that trendy. What’s helped me find space for it again is not feeling pressured to catch up or post in real time, but to allow myself to create a curated little library where I applaud the work of others.

Browse the Bridal Seamstress Picks

If you’re at all in to reading or literature, be it written or audio, I would be tickled if you considered giving my bookstagram a follow. Or even just browsing when you’re looking for new reads. All you need to do to find a new mystery or fantasy story is click through my highlights! All my posted books are organized by genre to make it super easy.

Thanks for Reading

Listening to audiobooks (and podcasts) is such a special part of how I work as a bridal seamstress. And I love sharing it! I love knowing that even in the smallest way I can promote the work of others, encourage others to consider them, and give clients a little look behind the curtain. I hope you’ll consider following 📚♥️

*And if you really enjoy reading – consider subscribing to my blog or browsing through all of the posts!