Sewing Trend: The Rise of Sewing
Sometimes, when you’re crafty, you tend to surround yourself with crafty friends and read crafty books and blogs, to the point where you get this unrealistic idea that everyone knows how to sew their own skirts or bake their own bread from scratch. Then you find yourself talking about seam allowance in a group of “Muggles,” and you realize that you’re very much in the minority.
But lately, it doesn’t feel so unrealistic, right? Sewing is definitely more popular today than it was a decade ago, and it’s not just limited to a select few people. So when did this sewing trend come into to play and where did it come from? What has brought us back to the sewing machines?
Sewing Trend
Of course there’s no one answer to that question. Every sewing enthusiast has his or her own reasons for loving this craft, and you can’t put a one-size-fits-all answer on a group of people (especially not those of us who reject one-size-fits-all and instead sew our own custom-fit garments!). But there are several big indicators of this trend, so in honor of National Sewing Month, I thought it might be interesting to explore some of them.
Eco-Friendly Options
Sewing your own clothes is a way to be more eco-friendly for a lot of people. Sewing your own clothes means you’re not supporting mass-production clothing factories. Seeking out quality, organic or fair trade fabrics makes a lot of us feel more comfortable about the types of materials we’re putting next to our skin. And of course, there’s a huge culture in the world of sewing that favors up-cycling, or reusing items to make them into new, sewn creations.
Financially Friendly
If you’ve ever sewn your own dress, then you know that by the time you invest in quality materials and spend a ton of time making that garment, you surely could have gotten a cheaper dress in a big-box store. But that doesn’t mean that sewing is always the more expensive option; in fact, the ability to sew can save you money in a variety of ways. Hem your own pants for a few cents’ worth of thread rather than taking them to a tailor and paying $30. Turn a 99-cent T-shirt from a thrift store into a pair of yoga pants for your baby instead of buying a $20 pair at a boutique. Replace that missing button on your husband’s $25 dress shirt rather than tossing it in the trash. Even just basic sewing skills can add up to big savings for a lot of people, and in a shaky economy that can be reassuring news to say the least!
Make it Work
Ahh, Tim Gunn! He and Heidi Klum have made sewing seem SO cool in the decade since Project Runway first aired on TV, haven’t they? Every season, a crew of young hipsters makes us all believe we can ride a sewing machine all the way to the red carpet. Or at least, we can be the best-looking mom at the play park, right? And Tim’s enduring advice – “Make it work!” – reminds us all that we don’t have to have special training or years of experience; we just have to have the perseverance to keep trying.
The Internet Made Me Do It
It’s not a secret that the Internet has played a big part in the rising popularity of a variety of “forgotten arts,” sewing among them. Bloggers posting gorgeous photos of handmade dresses, home decor, and baby gifts make us all drool … and then head straight to our own sewing machines to make something similar. Etsy has brought the idea of handmade to the forefront of mainstream culture, and with it comes the resurgence of the belief that handmade is no longer a dirty word. Instead, being able to make things can mean a thriving career selling your creations, and many current sewists probably got their start with the hopes of turning it into a career, or at least a lucrative side gig. Sites like Craftsy have given us a way to learn how to sew practically anything, and Pinterest makes sure we’ll never run out of inspiration. In a way, sewing is a way of “keeping up with the Joneses,” except that they don’t live next store any more – the new “Joneses” are the young, creative bloggers who seem to have it all, and they’re everywhere!
Fun & Fulfillment
No matter what brings people to the sewing machine for the first time, the thing that keeps them coming back is that sewing is FUN. Plus, there’s something very fulfilling about creating something with your hands – taking a plain piece of fabric and turning it into a dress that makes you feel beautiful, or a set of pillows to perk up your home, or a quilt to wrap up a new baby in handmade love. Sewing is a way for many people to connect to childhood, or the generations of women who came before us. It’s a way to slow down, and take a step back from a technology-ridden day job or a stressful day of wrangling kids; it’s therapy with fabric & thread. What other reasons do you need?
What about you – what made you join in on the sewing revolution? Have you been sewing for a long time, or is it a recent skill you’ve acquired? How did you get your start? Share your story with us in the comments!
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