Sewing surges in popularity

By Arelis Hernandez
Associated Press
Published: August 11, 2009

The rules in the sewing lounge read like metaphors for good living: Know where your fingers are at all times. No running with scissors. Look before you cut.

For sewing teacher Abby Wright, gliding a needle through a piece of fabric is a life skill in every sense.

"Some people will focus on the wrong thing trying to get it perfect," said Wright, 27, who was wearing a black baby-doll dress, which of course she made. "But it's OK just as long as you follow the path. The stitch will take you where you need to go ... it's kind of like life."

Pointing to a meandering stream of black thread, she added, "If you mess up, there is always the seam ripper."

Sewing is shedding its grandmotherly image and catching on among a younger generation trying to stay chic and original while saving a little money. Many see it as part of an overall yearning for self-sufficiency in uncertain times — similar to the trends toward cultivating home gardens or raising chickens in the backyard.

Across the nation, sewing lounges are filling up with people looking for an economical, earth-friendly craft coupled with good conversation and company.

Wright, who is spokeswoman for the Houston-based American Sewing Guild, is bringing along craft converts such as Renee Botti and her 9-year-old daugther, Sofia. Botti said sewing reminds her family of what they value most: time together, and practicality.

She attends a sewing boot camp taught by Wright at Sew Crafty, a shop in Houston's historic district. Owner Sarah Gabbart said her studio functions as a social network.

"The coolest thing about sewing are the friendships that form and the camaraderie of doing something with your hands," she said. "It's different from being at a bar or mixer."

The Internet, too, offers ways for sewing enthusiasts to connect with each other. They share patterns, ideas and tips on the latest trends and designs.

"People can blog about what they make, what worked and what didn't work," said Rhea Daiute, manager of Alewives Fabrics in Nobleboro, Maine, which has a waiting list for its sewing class. "When people get together to sew and a lot of venting gets done, it's easier to talk when you have something like sewing or knitting in common."

At first, Daiute said, seeing a young person sewing was like spotting a mythical creature — rare and fantastic. She has since gotten used to it. Many of her friends, she said, now congregate religiously at her store to buy the newest and most contemporary fabrics.

But those drawn to sewing today aren't just attracted to its utilitarian side, observers say.

"Now it's considered an art form," said Wright.

As part of a growing demand for handmade goods, Web sites that offer them, like Etsy.com, have flourished. Shows like Bravo's "Project Runway" have inspired a generation of designer wannabes.

"Sewing enthusiasts are now born out of ingenuity, the need to expand one's creativity and the desire to be independent from mass-production clothing stores," Wright said.

Sewing machines and patterns have gotten simpler and easier, Gabbart said, allowing even the most feeble crafter to create elaborate designs. Fabrics have become bolder, more colorful and more modern.

Randy Thomas, senior vice president of the world's largest sewing machine manufacturer, Janome America, says hard times also have a lot to do with the resurgence in needlework.

"When the economy goes down, the sewing industry goes up," Thomas said. "People are looking for ways to save money by repairing garments instead of buying new ones or embellishing purchased garments."

Sewing machine sales have almost doubled in the past decade, he said, and the recession has moved people to become more creative.

"In 1999, there was about 1.4 million sewing machines imported into the United States," Thomas said. "In 2008, that number went up to 2.21 million."

At the American Sewing Guild, membership has consistently grown each year by about 15 percent, Wright said.

At Sew Crafty, students start with clutch purses — for male students "man bags" — and gradually move on to pajama pants and aprons. Despite the rules on the studio's wall, students are encouraged to let their imagination guide the stitches.

Gabbart said many of her students "have professions where they are working with intangible things like spread sheets and computer documents that offer little gratification. But when they make something with their hands, there is a huge sense of accomplishment and you are leaving with something tangible."

The Times 'Credit Crunch Chic' excerpt

The Times recently published an article by India Knight, entitled 'Credit Crunch Chic' which covered all manner of ways to save money in the home, via home cooking, beauty on a budget, clothing, shopping and more.
Among the very valid pointers was a couple of paragraphs on the virtue of craft work (see below). It illustrates the current trend for all things hand-made and might be an inspiration to those of you selling your handmade items online...
For the full article, please click here.


"CRAFT WORKS"

"If you’re under 30 and fairly with it, you’ll understand what I’m talking about when I say the craft movement is huge and super-cool.

I could write an entire book about all of this, and about what it means for so many young women to be redefining domesticity in such empowering, self-sufficient ways. For our current purposes, though, all you need to know is that there’s never been a better time to get into crafting. Make craftster.org your first port of call. The site contains everything about everything to do with crafts, as well as being a giant online community.

Then move on to etsy.com. It’s like a huge crafts mall, containing tens of thousands of individual stalls run by people selling the stuff they make. It sells absolutely everything you could possibly imagine: handmade clothes, accessories, jewellery, bath goods, wedding- cake figurines, frames, ceramics, knitted stuff, art (some of it fantastic), toys — and that is the merest tip of the world’s biggest iceberg. It’s marvellous and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Etsy is the first site I visit if I want to buy someone an original (as in, often, literally one of a kind), lovely, bargainous present. Plus, obviously, you’re not lining the pockets of some giant greedy-guts corporation; you’re (gently) lining the pockets of a fashion student in Brooklyn, or a mother of four from Dorset who crafts in her spare time. Every item you buy from such a person strikes a blow against mass production. Everything about Etsy rocks.

If you are any good at making anything at all, I strongly urge you to set yourself up with an Etsy boutique; as some of the craft bloggers who have Etsy shops will tell you, you can start earning serious pocket money — after which, of course, the sky’s the limit."

Kirstie Allsopp presents...

Kirstie Allsopp (of Location, Location, Location fame) has a new show on Channel 4 - Kirstie's Homemade Home.

Packed with ideas for your home, tackling different rooms of the house each week, Kirstie shows us how to reuse, recycle and create. She visits skilled crafts people and artists who teach her new skills. Save money and keep your home 'on trend', as handmade items become the new 'designer labels'.

Check out her page on Channel 4's website for full instructions on how to make a lampshade, an envelope cushion, how to decoupage and more!

With the current economical climate, anything we can make or re-use helps us save money and goes towards a healthier planet too. So any craft fans should make the most of this current trend and get crafting! Whether its for your own home, as gifts or to sell, handmade items are the hot trends in fashion, interior design and toys.

Don't forget, if you're tempted to try any of Kirstie's ideas, Knit and Sew has plenty of supplies to make the project easier - fabrics, threads, needles, scissors, wool, fabric paints, ribbons and buttons, adhesives, kits and more!