During the pandemic, an interesting phenomenon emerged as Britons, echoing the sentiments of their Prime Minister Boris Johnson, embraced the proverb “a stitch in time saves nine.” This return to sewing, a craft tracing back to 1723, saw both seasoned sewists and beginners rushing to buy sewing machines from big-box retailers and small shops alike, in a bid to make masks for themselves, front-line workers, and to sell.
The demand for sustainable living is increasing, along with the appreciation for practical arts like sewing. This resurgence is viewed as a chance to reestablish a connection with practical education. Curriculum researcher and retired home economics teacher suggest that sewing can help address our ecological crisis by emphasizing local consumption and production.
The craft industry is adapting to new realities, grappling with inflation that’s spiking at its highest in forty years, affecting labor costs, freight, and raw materials, as David Schmidt of Kraemer Yarns points out. The industry is innovating, with craft businesses like Miss Babs Hand Dyed Yarns and Fibers finding ways to combat these costs and craft shops like Thimbles in Illinois offering classes that use less costly materials.
Television shows from the ’70s portrayed feminist icons who steered clear of domesticity, influencing attitudes towards sewing. However, decades later, the narrative is shifting. Shows like Sewing With Nancy and reality TV series Project Runway have brought sewing back into the limelight, no longer as a necessity but as a form of self-expression and creativity, particularly among Millennials and Gen Z who make up nearly half of the crafting segment, according to Forbes.
By the turn of the 20th century, industrialization and globalization, “ready-to-wear” garments became widely available. Although home sewing persisted, the popularity of mass-produced and industrially manufactured clothing, heavily promoted through advertising and easily accessible in stores and catalogs, gradually diminished the practice of sewing clothes at home.
Sewing companies are introducing advanced sewing machines with WiFi connectivity, sewing cams for recording or taking pictures while stitching, and app syncing technology for easy access to tutorials or social media sharing. Additionally, the industry’s diverse materials require different types of sewing machines, leading to increased demand for sewists and sewing machine production.
Amidst this context, the textile industry is evolving, offering resources and programs online and in educational institutions to nurture sewing skills. Sewing, once a home economics staple, is now seen as vital for ecological awareness and sustainable living, appealing to those who aim to repurpose and upcycle in a fast fashion world.
Relevant articles:
– Pandemic sewing surge is a chance to rediscover the practical arts, The Conversation, Dec 17, 2020
– Sew Essentially Sew: Sewing Through the Decades through the lens of Popular Culture, Sew Essentially Sew, Jul 27, 2013
– Is Sewing a Dying Art?, Mood Fabrics, Jan 9, 2020
– How Craft Businesses are Dealing with Inflation, Craft Industry Alliance, May 24, 2022